Julio Bocca facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Julio Bocca
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| Born | March 6, 1967 Buenos Aires, Argentina
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| Occupation | Artistic director |
| Years active | 1982-2007 |
| Former groups | Fundación Teresa Carreño Teatro Municipal of Río de Janeiro American Ballet Theatre Ballet Argentino |
Julio Adrián Lojo Bocca is a very famous ballet dancer from Argentina. He was born on March 6, 1967. Julio Bocca danced for twenty years as a main dancer with the American Ballet Theatre. From 2010 to 2018, he was the artistic director of the National Ballet of Uruguay. Many people call him one of the most popular Argentine dancers ever.
Contents
Early Life and Dance Journey
Julio Bocca was born in Munro, a neighborhood near Buenos Aires. He started ballet lessons when he was just four years old. At age seven, he joined the National School of Dance. A year later, he went to the Teatro Colón's Advanced Arts Institute. His mother was a dance teacher and always encouraged him to study dance.
Becoming a Professional Dancer
In 1981, Julio Bocca joined the Chamber Ballet Company at the Teatro Colón. The next year, he began performing as a soloist. A soloist is a dancer who performs alone or with a small group. In 1985, when he was 18, he won a gold medal. This was at the Moscow International Ballet Competition.
After winning, Mikhail Baryshnikov invited him to join the American Ballet Theatre. Julio Bocca became the youngest main dancer ever hired there. Even though he was a main dancer, he could also perform as a guest with other dance companies. In 1987, the New York Times newspaper named him "Dancer of the Year."
Dancing Around the World
As a guest dancer, Julio Bocca performed with many famous companies. These included La Scala in Milan and the Paris Opera. He also danced with the Kirov in Russia and the Royal Danish Ballet. Other companies included the Cuban National Ballet and the Bolshoi Ballet. A reviewer from Dance Magazine praised his performances. They said he had an "irresistible combination of passion and gallantry."
Julio Bocca became very popular in his home country, Argentina. He often performed in large soccer stadiums, and they would be completely full!
Creating His Own Company
In 1990, Julio Bocca started his own ballet company. It was called the Ballet Argentino. This company performs regularly in theaters all over the world. Bocca often worked with another Argentine dancer, Eleonora Cassano. From 1997 to 2001, Luciana Paris was his dance partner with the Ballet Argentino.
In 2000, Julio Bocca took part in a big international event called Millennium Day. He danced in Ushuaia, Argentina, with Cassano and the Ballet Argentino. This performance was shown to people all around the world.
Mixing Ballet with Tango
Julio Bocca also combined ballet dancing with tango. Tango is a popular dance from Argentina. This mix was very popular with audiences. In 1998, he was in a movie called Tango. This movie helped him reach even more people. When he mixed ballet with tango, he often worked with tango choreographer Ana Maria Stekelman. A choreographer is someone who creates dance routines. The Ballet Argentino also performs modern, jazz, and ballroom dance styles.
In 2000, he appeared in Fosse. This was a Broadway musical that showed the work of choreographer Bob Fosse.
Retirement from Dancing
Julio Bocca had his last performance with the American Ballet Theatre on June 22 and 23, 2006. He danced with ballerina Alessandra Ferri in a show called Manon. He continued to perform with his own company, Ballet Argentino, until he stopped dancing completely at the end of 2007.
His life story, called Julio Bocca, La Vida en Danza, was published in March 2007. It was written by a French journalist named Angeline Montoya.
After Dancing
In March 2010, Julio Bocca was named director of the Ballet Nacional SODRE. This is the national ballet company of Uruguay. He was chosen by Uruguay's president, José Mujica.
In 2016, Bocca was the president of the jury at the Prix de Lausanne ballet competition. A jury decides who wins. In 2017, he was also a judge at the Benois de la Danse awards.
Awards and Honors
Julio Bocca has received many awards for his amazing dancing:
- 1985 - Golden Medal at the International Contest in Moscow.
- 1986 - Primus Inter Pares in Buenos Aires.
- 1987 - Dancer of the year from the New York Times in New York City.
- 1990 - Acquidanza in Acqui-Terme, Italy.
- 1990 - Gino Tani Award in Rome.
- 1990 - Best International Classic Dancer from the Iberoamerican Dancing Association in Barcelona.
- 1991 - Léonide Massine in Positano, Italy.
- 1992 - Prix Benois de la Danse from the International Coreographers Association at the Bolshoi Theatre.
- 1999 - Platinum Konex for Male Ballet Dancer from the Konex Foundation in Buenos Aires.
See also
In Spanish: Julio Bocca para niños
