Alessandra Ferri facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alessandra Ferri
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Alessandra Ferri and Mikhail Baryshnikov in 1986
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| Born | 6 May 1963 Milan, Italy
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| Years active | 1980–2007, 2013- |
| Former groups | Royal Ballet American Ballet Theatre La Scala Theatre Ballet |
Alessandra Ferri (born May 6, 1963) is a famous Italian prima ballerina. This means she is a lead dancer in a ballet company. She danced with some of the world's best ballet companies. These include the Royal Ballet in London and the American Ballet Theatre in New York. She also danced with the La Scala Theatre Ballet in Italy. Alessandra retired for a short time in 2007. But she returned to the stage in 2013. She is known as a prima ballerina assoluta, which is the highest honor for a ballerina.
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Alessandra Ferri's Amazing Career
Alessandra Ferri was born in Milan, Italy. She started learning ballet at a young age. Her first ballet school was the La Scala Theatre Ballet School. Later, she moved to London to study at the Royal Ballet School. In 1980, she won a scholarship at the Prix de Lausanne competition. This award helped her continue her ballet training.
Dancing with the Royal Ballet
Ferri joined the Royal Ballet in 1980. This was one of her first big steps as a professional dancer. In 1982, she had a major role in the ballet Mayerling. Her performance was so good that she was nominated for a special award. This was the Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding First Achievement of the Year in Ballet.
The next year, in 1983, she won another Laurence Olivier Award. This time it was for her amazing dancing in Valley of Shadows. This ballet was created by Sir Kenneth MacMillan. Also in 1983, Alessandra was promoted to a very important position. She became a Principal Dancer at the Royal Ballet.
Joining American Ballet Theatre
In 1985, Alessandra Ferri moved to the American Ballet Theatre. She became a Principal Dancer there. The famous dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov asked her to join his company. She felt she needed more challenging training. The American Ballet Theatre could offer this. In 2007, she performed her farewell show there. She danced Romeo and Juliet with Roberto Bolle.
Dancing with La Scala Theatre Ballet
From 1992, Ferri also worked closely with the La Scala Theatre Ballet. She became a Guest Star with the American Ballet Theatre. This allowed her to dance with different companies. She was recognized as the Prima Ballerina Assoluta of the La Scala company. This is a very rare and special title.
Returning to the Stage
After retiring in 2007, Alessandra Ferri returned to dance in 2013. Her first performance back was in The Piano Upstairs. Since then, she has performed in many new ballets. These include Cheri, The Raven, and Woolf Works. She has danced Woolf Works with the Royal Ballet in 2023. She also performed it with the American Ballet Theater in 2024. In 2017, she danced in Marguerite and Armand at the Royal Opera House.
Roles Created for Alessandra Ferri
Alessandra Ferri has had many ballet roles created just for her. This means choreographers made new dances with her in mind. Here are some of the important roles she helped bring to life:
- 1981 – Chanson (a dance for two) by Sir Kenneth MacMillan.
- 1983 – Valley of Shadows by Sir Kenneth MacMillan.
- 1985 – Swan Lake by Rosella Hightower (a new version).
- 1986 – Requiem by Sir Kenneth MacMillan.
- 1989 – Le Diable Amoureux by Roland Petit.
- 1997 – In Volo by Jean-Christophe Maillot.
- 2013 – The Piano Upstairs, which she also choreographed.
- 2015 – Woolf Works by Wayne McGregor.
Guest Performances Around the World
Alessandra Ferri has traveled all over the world to dance. She has been a guest artist with many famous ballet companies. These include the Paris Opera Ballet and the Kirov Ballet. She also danced with the National Ballet of Canada. Other companies include the Tokyo Ballet and the Cuban National Ballet. She has performed in many different countries.
She often danced with other famous male dancers. These include Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov. She also danced with Julio Bocca, who was one of her favorite partners.
Alessandra's Personal Life
Alessandra Ferri has two daughters. Her first daughter, Matilde, was born in 1997. Her second daughter, Emma, was born in 2001. Her daughters even joined her on stage for her farewell performance. Their father is Fabrizio Ferri, an Italian photographer. He started an art school in Milan, Italy.
Video Recordings of Her Performances
You can watch Alessandra Ferri dance in many video recordings:
- 1984 – Romeo and Juliet as Juliet, with the Royal Ballet.
- 1987 – The film Dancers as Francesca, with Mikhail Baryshnikov.
- 1996 – Giselle as Giselle, with La Scala Ballet.
- 2000 – Romeo and Juliet as Juliet, with Angel Corella.
- 2003 – The Dream as Titania, with Ethan Stiefel.
- 2017 – Woolf Works, with Royal Ballet.
Awards and Honours
Alessandra Ferri has received many awards for her incredible dancing:
- 1983 – Olivier Award – Won for Outstanding Individual Performance of the Year.
- 1990 – Premio Léonide Massine.
- 1992 – Named "Prima Ballerina Assoluta".
- 2000 – Prix Benois de la Danse.
- 2004 – Received the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Knight).
- 2005 – Dance Magazine Award.
- 2016 – Critics' Circle National Dance Award for best female dancer.
- 2016 – Olivier Award – Won for Outstanding Achievement in Dance.
See also
In Spanish: Alessandra Ferri para niños
