![]() ![]() Carla Fracci at La Scala, Milan, in 1969. Her warm temperament and style recall Italian bel canto in balletic terms.”įrom the 1960s, whenever new ballets were created in Italy, it was the hope of the choreographer and producer that Fracci would wish to be part of the project, and she played a vital role in securing a stronger appreciation of ballet in Italy than it had had in the first half of the century. In discussing ballerinas who were key to national identities, Mary Clarke and Clement Crisp noted in Ballerina: The Art of Women in Classical Ballet (1987) that: “Fracci speaks for Italian dance, for something both gracious and graceful. From 1967 she became a regular guest with companies such as American Ballet Theatre, but her first loyalty was to Italy. She was admired throughout the country, where she danced in many cities, at summer festivals and on television. "I express my heartfelt condolences to family members and to the world of dance, which today, loses a precious and unforgettable reference.Carla Fracci, who has died aged 84 of cancer, was Italy’s prima ballerina of the 20th century. "Carla Fracci has honored our country with her elegance and her artistic commitment," Mattarella added. 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."įollowing news of her death, Italian President Sergio Mattarella also issued a statement, saying Fracci's "extraordinary artistic and human qualities made her one of the greatest classical dancers of our time." "We will always think of her with affection and gratitude, remembering the smile of the last days spent together, when she felt like she was back home," Meyer continued.Īdded La Scala's ballet director, Manuel Legris: "She leaves us in amazement, on tiptoe like Giselle, a spirit that remains with us, filling the ballrooms, the stage and our hearts. in January we were so happy to have her back to pass on her experience to the young interpreters of the last Giselle, which was an unforgettable moment for everyone," La Scala's general manager, Dominique Meyer, said in a statement, per the theater's post. "She intimately tied her name to the history of this theater. She recently returned to the theater this past January to teach a masterclass on Giselle, which was used in part of a documentary series by RAI state television, the theater said. Her last dance at La Scala occurred in 2000 when she played the role of Luce in Excelsior, per ABC News. RELATED VIDEO: Teen Ballerina Celebrated for Showing Body Diversity: 'I Like Being a Role Model to Others' ![]() In her personal life, Fracci wed director Beppe Menegatti in 1964 and went on to welcome one son, Francesco, Reuters reported. Later in life, Fracci directed several Italian ballet companies in Naples, Verona and Rome, and was looking to bring dance to provincial towns so ballet would stay alive, according to ABC News. She was also invited to the Royal Festival Hall in London and received the prestigious Dance Magazine Award, ABC News reported. Throughout her lifetime, Fracci danced alongside other legendary names, such as Mikhail Baryshnikov, Vladimir Vassiliev, Erik Bruhn and Rudolf Nureyev, the theater said. Her illustrious career spanned multiple decades and notably included playing the titular role in Giselle, the famous romantic ballet, at the Scala Theatre, according to their statement. Scala Theatre called her early beginnings a "fairytale story" and credited Fracci's "talent, obstinance and work" for helping her become "the world's most famous ballerina has inspired generations of young people, not only in the world of dance." "That's when a spark ignited, a spark that became a fire and that has never left me," she told Corriere della Sera newspaper in 2008, according to Reuters. RELATED: Ann Reinking, Star of Broadway's Chicago and Tony-Winning Choreographer, Dies at 71ĭespite initially believing that classical dancing was boring, Fracci soon became hooked on the style after watching British star Margot Fonteyn perform, Reuters reported. ![]()
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