Carla Fracci

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Grimes2 (talk | contribs) at 19:12, 27 May 2021 (→‎Career: +ref, -cn). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Carla Fracci
Fracci in 2011
Born(1936-08-20)20 August 1936
Milan, Italy
Died27 May 2021(2021-05-27) (aged 84)
Milan, Italy
Cause of deathCancer
Resting placeCampo Verano
Occupations
Years active1954–2021

Carla Fracci OMRI OMCA (pronounced [ˈkarla ˈfrattʃi]; 20 August 1936 – 27 May 2021) was an Italian ballet dancer and actress. Thanks to her extensive career and her acclaimed interpretation of several classical romantic ballets such as La Sylphide, Fracci became one of the most experienced and recognized interpreters of Romantic ballets. “As Erik Bruhn once said, [Fracci] gave the world a new idea of the ballerina in 19th-century Romantic ballets.”[1] Her career highlights include Nijinsky, Giselle (American Ballet Theatre), and Complete Bell Telephone Hour Performances: Erik Bruhn 1961–1967.

She was best known for her performances in Giselle, and for dancing with partners such as Rudolf Nureyev, Vladimir Vasiliev, Henning Kronstam, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Alexander Godunov, Gheorghe Iancu, Giuseppe Picone, Roberto Bolle, and Erik Bruhn.[2]

Early life

Fracci was born on 20 August 1936, in Milan, to a tram driver father and a mother who worked at a factory. During the Second World War, she lived with relatives in the countryside.[3][4] In 1946, her mother brought her and her sister to a La Scala Theatre Ballet School entrance exam, which ended up being disastrous for Fracci. While her body type was deemed unsuitable for ballet, she was pretty enough to be the last of 35 students accepted.[5] She described the early days at the school as "a crashing bore and a terrible chore." However, after she was cast as the mandolin in The Sleeping Beauty, performing alongside Margot Fonteyn, she changed her mind about ballet training and "started working very hard to catch up for the lost time."[5] Fracci's training completed in 1955. She was one of six students chosen to participate in passo d'addio, a farewell performance of the graduates held after an opera performance.[5]

Career

Carla Fracci in 1957

Fracci entered La Scala Theatre Ballet after she graduated, and was promoted to soloist the following year. Her first break was filling in for Violette Verdy in Rodrigues' Cinderella in 1958, which led to her promotion to principal dancer.[4][6] This led to her dancing as the title role in Giselle with the London Festival Ballet the following year. In 1963, she left the company as she was underpaid and underemployed. Instead, she pursued a freelance career.[5]

Starting in the late 1980s, she directed numerous major ballet companies in Italy: first was the ballet company of the Teatro San Carlo in Naples. From 1996 to 1997 she directed the Verona Arena Ballet Company. From November 2000 she directed the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma Ballet Company, where she continued until 2010. There she followed the Opera's traditional repertoire, as well as Diaghilev's works for the Ballets Russes. The repertoire at the Rome Opera's ballet ranged from Millicent Hodson's adaptation of The Rite of Spring to Andris Liepa's versions of Shéhérazade, Petrushka and The Firebird.[7]

From June 2009 to 2014 she was nominated Culture Assessor for the Metropolitan City of Florence.[8]

In 1983, 2000, and 2003, Fracci was awarded three prestigious honors from the Italian Government, acknowledging her achievements.[citation needed]

On 16 October 2004, Fracci was named Goodwill Ambassador of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.[9]

Fracci's autobiography Steps after Steps was published in 2013.[3] In 2014, she took part in a documentary film, 29200 Puthod, l'altra verità della realtà, directed by Federico Angi, about the life of the painter Dolores Puthod[10].

Personal life

In 1964, Fracci married director Beppe Menegatti, with whom she had a son.[3]

Death

Fracci died from cancer on 27 May 2021 in Milan, at the age of 84.[3]

References

  1. ^ Kisselgoff, Anna (9 June 1991). "Review/Dance; 'Giselle' as Interpreted by Italy's Carla Fracci . ." The New York Times.
  2. ^ "Carla Fracci". The Ballerina Gallery. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d Balmer, Crispian (27 May 2021). "Italy's leading prima ballerina, Carla Fracci, dies at 84". Reuter.
  4. ^ a b Barry, Colleen (27 May 2021). "Italy's Carla Fracci, La Scala prima ballerina, dies at 84". ABC.
  5. ^ a b c d "Carla Fracci, 'Prim Ballerina Assoluta'". New York Times. 12 July 1982.
  6. ^ "Remembering Carla: ballet legend Carla Fracci dies at 84". Gramilano. 27 May 2021.
  7. ^ https://archiviostorico.operaroma.it/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Stagione_2009.pdf
  8. ^ "Scomparsa Carla Fracci, il cordoglio del presidente Luca Milani". Met – News dalle Pubbliche Amministrazioni della Città Metropolitana di Firenze (in Italian). Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  9. ^ "Meet the Goodwill Ambassadors: Carla Fracci". Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Archived from the original on 2 December 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  10. ^ "29200 Puthod, l'altra verità della realtà". cinemaitaliano.info (in Italian). Retrieved 27 May 2021.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carla_Fracci&oldid=1025472815"