Ha fallecido la bailarina Carla Fracci

Carla Fracci © 2021 by Wikipedia

La bailarina italiana Carla Fracci (Milán, 20 de agosto de 1936-27 de mayo de 2021), una de las principales figuras del ballet italiano, falleció debido a un cáncer el 27 de mayo en Milán, su ciudad natal y donde desarrolló casi toda su carrera. Hija de un taxista, ingresó a los 10 años en la academia del Ballet de La Scala y en él realizó casi toda su carrera, destacando como gran intérprete del ballet romántico, especialmente Giselle. Tras retirarse, fue directora del ballet de Nápoles (1990-91), Verona (1995-97) y del Balletto dell'Opera di Roma (2000-10), aunque siguió vinculada al Ballet de La Scala hasta su muerte: todavía en enero de este año 2021 dió algunas clase magistrales a las parejas protagonista de la reposición de Giselle en el teatro. 

Nota de prensa de La Scala (en inglés)

La Scala announces with deep sorrow and emotion the passing of Carla Fracci today at her home in Milan. The theatre, the city and the art of dance have lost a legendary figure who left a strong mark on our history and made a fundamental contribution to the prestige of Italian culture throughout the world. 

"Together with Maria Taglioni, Carla Fracci has been the most important personality in the history of dance at La Scala," said Superintendent Meyer. "Having grown up at the Accademia, she has intimately linked her name to the history of this theatre. In recent months, I have had the pleasure of welcoming her several times to La Scala, where she often came, and in January we were delighted to have her back to pass on her experience to the young performers of our last revival of Giselle, which was an unforgettable moment for everyone. We will always think of her with affection and gratitude, remembering the smile of the last days we spent together, when she felt she had come home again".  

Corps de Ballet Director Manuel Legris said: "She leaves us in amazement, on tiptoe like Giselle, a spirit that remains with us, filling the ballrooms, the stage and our hearts. Her never dormant energy captured and fascinated us when she returned to embrace the theatre and its artists. We feel a great void that, at the same time, makes us feel full and rich in all her history - which is the history of ballet - and privileged to have shared her art that is a legendary model and source of inspiration for all generations of dancers". 

Carla Fracci is a pivotal figure in the history of dance and that of La Scala, but also a reference figure for the city of Milan and for all of Italian culture. The fairytale story of the tram driver's daughter who, with talent, obstinacy and work, became one of the most famous ballerinas in the world has inspired generations of young people, not only in the world of dance. She entered the Ballet School of La Scala in 1946, where she studied with Esmée Bulnes and Vera Volkova, among others. Carla Fracci graduated in 1954 and in March 1955 she took part in the “Passo d'addio” of the former pupils of the Ballet School after an opera performance of La sonnambula conducted by Leonard Bernstein with Visconti directing and Maria Callas in the leading role. In the same year, she made her public debut by replacing Violette Verdy in Prokofiev's Cinderella and in 1958 she became prima ballerina. In the same year, John Cranko, after Il principe delle pagode, wanted her in the part of Giulietta and invited her to the Royal Festival Hall, the beginning of an international rise that touched the biggest stages and most important companies in the world, but in which La Scala retained a central role. Here Carla Fracci danced with, among others, Mario Pistoni, Roberto Fascilla, Vladimir Vassiliev, Amedeo Amodio, Paolo Bortoluzzi, Mikhail Barishnikov, George Iancu and, in more recent years, Massimo Murru and Roberto Bolle. Her fundamental partners were Erik Bruhn, who opened the doors to the United States, and Rudolf Nureyev, with whom she formed a legendary duo. Fracci was the chosen interpreter of the great romantic ballets and new versions of the classics created by Nureyev, and she was also the dedicatee at La Scala of an impressive number of new choreographies created for her, from Sebastian by Luciana Novaro to La Strada by Nino Rota and Mario Pistoni, Pelléas et Mélisande and Images d'Ida Rubinstein by Beppe Menegatti, up to Chéri by Roland Petit (she danced it for the last time at La Scala in 1999 with Massimo Murru), and charismatic interpreter of the ballets set in the opening works of the Season: from Guglielmo Tell to I Vespri Siciliani and La Vestale, as well as the protagonist of the revival of Excelsior under the direction of Pippo Crivelli. Carla Fracci last performed the part of Luce in Excelsior at the Piermarini in 2000.

In January 2021 Carla Fracci returned to La Scala at the invitation of the Ballet Director Manuel Legris to prepare the couples performing in the revival of Giselle (Nicoletta Manni with Timofej Andrijashenko and Martina Arduino with Claudio Coviello) in two masterclasses broadcast on the theatre's social channels and filmed as part of the docuseries "Corpo di Ballo" on RaiPlay and Rai5.