La Scala's latest leader. (Presstime News).

Leadership at La Scala Ballet seems finally settled with the December 2001 appointment of Frederic Olivieri to artistic director. But since the board of the Milanese company has a record of suddenly switching direction, some are wondering if the La Scala saga is really over.

In 1999 La Scala invited Carla Fracci to rule the company and then denied her the position (see Presstime News, Dance Magazine, June 2000, page 29). That left the dancers in the hands of Patricia Ruanne, former London Festival Ballet principal and assistant director of the Paris Opera Ballet under Nureyev, for a lackluster 2000-2001 season. In spring 2001, however, the company had a box-office success with Sylvie Guillem's Giselle, which toured the U.S. and U.K. The enthusiastic response convinced the Milanese Opera Board to recast La Scala as a classical company of international stature. Elisabetta Terabust, famed dancer and director of La Scala from 1994 until 1998, seemed the ideal director for such a venture. She had produced good programs during her reign and had developed La Scala's most recent new talents (Gilda Gelati, Marta Romagna, Massimo Murru. and a very young Roberto Bolle).

Terabust had recently signed a three-year contract as artistic director with MaggioDanza, the Florence Opera House resident ballet company. Yet she was tempted to return to Milan and finally decided to accept the offer. But what would MaggioDanza do about a director?

Surprisingly, the two opera boards came to a gentlemen's agreement. In July 2001, a combined press release from the theaters announced Terabust's resignation from MaggioDanza, her engagement at La Scala, and also that La Scala's current principal maitre de ballet, Frederic Olivieri, would take over in Florence.

Though astonished at Terabust's sudden change of plans, the Florentine dancers were glad to have Olivieri, who had worked with them during Karole Armitage's direction.

Terabust was to start at La Scala in September. But before long her nomination began to seem uncertain. There were noises in Milan from the dancers' union, which disapproved of her return. (Conflicts with the union had led her to give up her La Scala directorship in 1998.) And the La Scala board dragged its heels when it came to preparing a definitive contract. Finally, in late December, it instead announced Olivieri's nomination as artistic director of La Scala Ballet with a three-year engagement. The Florence board did not ask Terabust back, however, citing her sudden departure after just six months on the job.

Neither the La Scala intendent (similar to an executive director in the U.S.) nor Olivieri would comment on the switch in plans, while Terabust simply said, "I am sure the La Scala board will explain this choice soon." Only Stefano Merlini, Florence Maggio Musicale intendent, offered more. "We thought La Scala and Ms. Terabust had reached an agreement when they communicated her decision to return to La Scala," he said. "So our surprise was the greatest when we heard of Milan's sudden reverse of gears. For Florentine dancers this is a very big pity, as under Terabust's rule they were obtaining good success with audiences and critics. And now we have to choose another director able to maintain this standard."