Alessandra Ferri.With her sweeping lines, improbably arched feet, eloquent port de bras port de bras n. The technique or practice of positioning and moving the arms in ballet. , and dramatic intention behind every step, Alessandra Ferri Alessandra Ferri (born in 1963) is an Italian ballerina, dancing as a Principal Dancer with the American Ballet Theatre in New York, Prima Ballerina with the La Scala Ballet in Milan, and as an international guest artist. breathed life into ballet. She made her indelible mark on the ballet repertoire and inspired audiences and fellow dancers alike. She joined American Ballet Theatre American Ballet Theatre, one of the foremost international dance companies of the 20th cent. It was founded in 1937 as the Mordkin Ballet and reorganized as the Ballet Theatre in 1940 under the direction of Lucia Chase and Rich Pleasant. in 1985, and on June 23, she will take her final bow as Juliet, the role probably most associated with her passion and abandon. "I wanted to leave with a lovely memory of my feeling of dancing," says Ferri, whose final performance will be in Tokyo in August. "I've been lucky enough to have a long career, an early career. I love dance too much to have a bad feeling about it." Ferri was offered the position of director of La Scala Ballet, but needs time away from dancing before considering any moves: "I need to reassess myself in a new phase of life." Born in Milan, Ferri joined ABT ABT About ABT Abteilung (German: Department) ABT Abbott Laboratories (stock symbol) ABT American Ballet Theatre ABT Associação Brasileira de Telemarketing ABT Abort ABT Availability Based Tariff after dancing to acclaim with The Royal Ballet. Outstanding in Romantic ballets like Giselle, Ferri became a box office draw (frequently partnered by Julio Bocca) with her Anna Magnani-like verismo ve·ris·mo n. 1. Verism. 2. An artistic movement of the late 19th century, originating in Italy and influential especially in grand opera, marked by the use of rural characters and common, everyday themes often treated in a style in dramatic works like MacMillan's Manon and Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet star-crossed lovers die as teenagers. [Br. Lit.: Romeo and Juliet] See : Death, Premature Romeo and Juliet archetypal star-crossed lovers. [Br. Lit. , and Cranko's Onegin and The Taming of the Shrew shrew, common name for the small, insectivorous mammals of the family Soricidae, related to the moles. Shrews include the smallest mammals; the smallest shrews are under 2 in. (5.1 cm) long, excluding the tail, and the largest are about 6 in. (15 cm) long. . Ferri feels that Juliet, a role that is in her blood, is the right choice for her retirement performance. "My debut with ABT was as Juliet," she says. "It has meant a lot to me throughout my whole career. I think it makes a complete circle." During the Met season, Ferri will also dance Desdemona in Lar Lubovitch's Othello and the lead in Manon. "Alessandra represents that caliber of artist who is so believable, you're not sure if you've witnessed an actor dancing or a dancer acting," says ABT artistic director Kevin McKenzie. "All dancers strive to perfect their technique as a means to open up their expression. Alessandra's example as a total artist is what we all look at with pride and admiration." |
|
||||||||||||||||

Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion