Italian prima ballerina
Alessandra Ferri
OMRI (born 6 May 1963) is an Italian
prima ballerina . She danced with the
Royal Ballet (1980–1984),
American Ballet Theatre (1985–2007) and
La Scala Theatre Ballet (1992–2007) and as an international guest artist, before temporally retiring on 10 August 2007, aged 44, then returning in 2013. She was eventually granted the rank of
prima ballerina assoluta .
[1]
Career
Alessandra Ferri was born in
Milan , Italy. She began studying ballet at the
La Scala Theatre Ballet School ,
[2] later transferring to the upper school of the
Royal Ballet School . She represented the Royal Ballet School in the 1980
Prix de Lausanne , winning a scholarship which enabled her to continue studying at the school.
[3]
Royal Ballet
Ferri joined the
Royal Ballet in 1980, and in 1982, for her first major role in the ballet
Mayerling ,
[4] she was nominated for the
Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding First Achievement of the Year in Ballet . In 1983, she was nominated for and won the Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Individual Performance of the Year in a New Dance Production for her role in
Sir Kenneth MacMillan 's Valley of Shadows . In 1983, she was promoted to the rank of Principal Dancer.
American Ballet Theatre
In 1985, Ferri left the Royal Ballet at the request of
Mikhail Baryshnikov to become a Principal Dancer with
American Ballet Theatre , under
Baryshnikov 's own direction.
[5] She stated that she needed a more rigorous training program that the company could provide.
[4] In 2007 she brought
Roberto Bolle to dance opposite her in her farewell performance of Romeo and Juliet .
[5]
La Scala Theatre Ballet
In 1992, Ferri became a Guest Star of American Ballet Theatre and began a very close collaboration with
La Scala Theatre Ballet , becoming recognised as
Prima Ballerina Assoluta of the company.
[6]
Return from retirement
She returned to dance after retirement in 2013, starring in The Piano Upstairs at Spoleto. Performances since have included Lea in Cheri for Signature Theatre, The Raven for Gotham Chamber Opera and in
Woolf Works with Royal Ballet.
[7]
In June 2017, she appeared at the Royal Opera House in the ballet
Marguerite and Armand .
[8]
Created roles
Statue of Alessandra Ferri as 'Juliet' by Nathan David inside the
Royal Ballet School
1981 – Chanson (pas de deux) – Choreography by Sir Kenneth MacMillan, with the Royal Ballet.
1982 – Invitation au Voyage – Choreography by
Michael Corder , with the Royal Ballet.
1983 – Consort Lessons – Choreography by
David Bintley , with the Royal Ballet.
1983 – Valley of Shadows – Choreography by Sir Kenneth MacMillan, with the Royal Ballet.
1984 – Different Drummer – Choreography by Sir Kenneth MacMillan, with the Royal Ballet.
1985 – Swan Lake – Choreography by
Rosella Hightower , with La Scala Ballet.
1986 – Requiem – Choreography by Sir Kenneth MacMillan, with the American Ballet Theatre.
1989 – Le Diable Amoureux – Choreography by
Roland Petit , with the
Ballet National de Marseille .
1990 – Birdy – Choreography by Jean-Pierre Aviotte, with the
Ballet National de Marseille .
1991 – White Man Sleeps – Choreography by Daniel Ezralow, with Maggiodanza.
1992 – Un Petit Train de Plaisir – Choreography by
Amedeo Amodio , with
Aterballetto .
1993 – Le Baiser de la Fée – Choreography by Micha Van Hoecke, with La Scala Ballet.
1994 – Le Sang d'un Poète , La Voix Humaine – Choreography by Roland Petit, for Teatro Studio, Milan.
1995 – William Tell – Choreography by Heinz Spoerli, with the
Ballet Nacional de Cuba .
1996 – Armide – Choreography by Heinz Spoerli, with La Scala Ballet.
1997 – Vespri Siciliani – Choreography by Heinz Spoerli, with the
Rome Opera Ballet.
1997 – In Volo – Choreography by Jean-Christophe Maillot, with the American Ballet Theatre.
1998 – Quartetto – Choreography by
William Forsythe , with La Scala Ballet.
1998 – Faust Tango – Choreography by Oscar Araiz, for the Ravenna Festival.
1999 – Mambo Suite – Choreography by Annamaria Steckelman, for the Colon Theatre, Buenos Aires.
2004 – Europa Riconosciuta – Choreography by Heinz Spoerli, with La Scala Ballet.
2013 - The Piano Upstairs - Choreography by Alessandra Ferri, Spoleto Festival dei 2 Mondi
2013 - Cheri - Choreography by Martha Clarke, Signature Theater, New York
2015 -
Woolf Works - Choreography by Wayne McGregor, Royal Ballet, Covent Garden London
2016 - Duse - Choreography by John Neumeier, Hamburg Ballett, Hamburg
2017 - Witness Choreography by Wayne McGregor, City Center, New York
2018 - Afterite Choreography by Wayne McGregor, American Ballet Theatre, New York Metropolitan Opera House
Guest appearances
As an international guest artist, Ferri performed with the
Paris Opera Ballet at the
Palais Garnier and the
Opéra Bastille , the
Kirov Ballet at the
Mariinsky Theatre , the
National Ballet of Canada , the Tokyo Ballet, the
Cuban National Ballet , the
Hamburg Ballet , the
Stuttgart Ballet , the Ballet National de Marseille, the Ballet National de Nancy and others.
She is best appreciated in story ballets by Kenneth MacMillan, Roland Petit,
John Cranko and
John Neumeier .
[9] [
neutrality is
disputed ]
She danced with important male dancers:
Rudolf Nureyev (in Los Angeles for his 50 birthday in 1988),
Mikhail Baryshnikov in the 1987 film
Dancers ,
Anthony Dowell ,
Patrick Dupond , Peter Schaufuss, Maximiliano Guerra,
Laurent Hilaire ,
Manuel Legris ,
Julio Bocca (her favourite),
[10]
Herman Cornejo , Marcelo Gomes, and
Carlos Acosta .
Personal life
Ferri has two daughters: Matilde (born in 1997) and Emma (born in 2001), who joined their mother on stage at her farewell performance.
[10] Their father is the Italian photographer Fabrizio Ferri,
[10] who founded the art school
Università dell'Immagine , in Milan, Italy.
Video recordings
1984 – Sir
Kenneth MacMillan 's –
Romeo and Juliet as Juliet, with
Wayne Eagling ,
David Drew and London's
Royal Ballet .
1987 – Herbert Ross's film Dancers as Francesca, with
Mikhail Baryshnikov ,
Leslie Browne ,
Julie Kent , Tommy Rall and
American Ballet Theatre (VHS Tape Only).
1987 –
George Balanchine 's La Sonnambula as The Sleepwalker, with Mikhail Baryshnikov and American Ballet Theatre.
1996 –
Giselle as Giselle, with Massimo Murru and La Scala Ballet.
1998 – Romeo & Juliet Pas de Deux with Julio Bocca, on a mixed bill DVD titled American Ballet Theatre Now – Variety and Virtuosity .
2000 – Romeo and Juliet as Juliet, with
Angel Corella and La Scala Ballet.
2003 – Sir
Frederick Ashton 's The Dream as Titania, with
Ethan Stiefel ,
Herman Cornejo and American Ballet Theatre.
2003 –
Roland Petit 's La Chauve-Souris as Bella, with Massimo Murru and La Scala Ballet.
2007 – George Balanchine's A Midsummer Night's Dream as Titania, with
Roberto Bolle , Massimo Murru and La Scala Ballet.
2017 - Wayne McGregor's
Woolf Works , with Royal Ballet.
Awards and honours (selected)
1982 – Olivier Award – Outstanding First Achievement of the Year in Ballet – Nominated
[11]
1983 – Olivier Award – Outstanding Individual Performance of the Year in a New Dance Production – WON
[12]
1990 – Premio
Léonide Massine , Positano
1992 - Named "Prima Ballerina Assoluta"
2000 –
Prix Benois de la Danse , Moscow
2004 –
Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Knight)
[13]
2005 –
Dance Magazine Award, New York
2016 – Critics' Circle National Dance Award : Grishko Award for the best female dancer (Woolf Works , The Royal Ballet)
2016 – Olivier Award – Outstanding Achievement in Dance for her performances in Chéri and Woolf Works at Royal Opera House
Notes and references
External links
International National Other