Carla Fracci | |
|---|---|
 Fracci in 1969 | |
| Born | Carolina Fracci (1936-08-20)20 August 1936 |
| Died | 27 May 2021(2021-05-27) (aged 84) Milan, Italy |
| Resting place | Cimitero Monumentale di Milano, Milan, Italy |
| Occupations |
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| Organizations | |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 son |
Carolina "Carla"Fracci (Italian:[ˈkarlaˈfrattʃi]; 20 August 1936 – 27 May 2021)[1] was an Italian prima ballerina, actress and ballet director. Considered one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century,[2] she was a leading dancer ofLa Scala Theatre Ballet in Milan, then worked freelance with international companies including theRoyal Ballet, London,Stuttgart Ballet,Royal Swedish Ballet andAmerican Ballet Theatre. Fracci is known for her interpretation of leading characters in severalRomantic ballets, such asLa Sylphide,Giselle,Swan Lake, andRomeo and Juliet. She also performed in ballets such asNijinsky andComplete Bell Telephone Hour Performances: Erik Bruhn 1961–1967. She danced with partners includingErik Bruhn,Rudolf Nureyev andMikhail Baryshnikov. Later, she directed several ballet companies in Italy, including theTeatro San Carlo in Naples and theTeatro dell'Opera di Roma in Rome.
According to Bruhn, she "gave the world a new idea of the ballerina in 19th-century Romantic ballets".[3] She appeared with many of the leading companies of the world, and received multiple honours for her performances.
Born as Carolina, Fracci was born on 20 August 1936, inMilan, to a tram driver[4] and a mother who worked at a factory. During theSecond World War, she lived with relatives in the countryside.[5][6] In 1946, her mother brought her and her sister to aLa 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.[7] She described the early days at the school as "a crashing bore and a terrible chore." However, after she was cast as the mandolin inThe Sleeping Beauty, performing alongsideMargot Fonteyn, she changed her mind about ballet training and "started working very hard to catch up for the lost time."[7] Fracci's training completed in 1955. She was one of six students chosen to participate inpasso d'addio, a farewell performance of the graduates held after an opera performance.[7]
Fracci enteredLa Scala Theatre Ballet after she graduated, and was promoted to soloist the following year. Her breakthrough came when she filled in forViolette Verdy inRodrigues'Cinderella in 1958, which led to her promotion to principal dancer,[6][8] and further to her dancing the title role inGiselle with theLondon Festival Ballet the following year. In 1963, she left the company as she felt underpaid and underemployed. Instead, she pursued a freelance career.[7]
Fracci performed with partners includingMikhail Baryshnikov,Roberto Bolle,Erik Bruhn,Alexander Godunov,Henning Kronstam,Gheorghe Iancu,Rudolf Nureyev,Giuseppe Picone andVladimir Vasiliev.[9][10] She appeared with leading companies of the world,[10] including theRoyal Ballet in London, theStuttgart Ballet, theRoyal Swedish Ballet in Stockholm and theAmerican Ballet Theatre.[1]
Starting in the late 1980s, she directed numerous major ballet companies in Italy: first was the ballet company of theTeatro San Carlo inNaples. From 1996 to 1997, she directed theVerona Arena ballet. From November 2000, she directed theTeatro dell'Opera di Roma ballet, where she continued until 2010. There she followed the Opera's traditional repertoire, as well asDiaghilev's works for theBallets Russes. The repertoire at the Rome Opera's ballet ranged fromMillicent Hodson's adaptation ofThe Rite of Spring[11] toAndris Liepa's versions ofScheherazade,[12]Petrushka andThe Firebird.[13] She was instrumental in bringing ballet to the people, such as an open-air performance inPaestum, and appearing in public squares and schools.[10]
From June 2009 to 2014, she was nominated Culture Assessor for theMetropolitan City of Florence.[14]
In 1983, 2000, and 2003, Fracci was awarded three prestigious honors from the Italian Government, acknowledging her achievements.[15] On 16 October 2004, Fracci was namedGoodwill Ambassador of theFood and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.[16] Fracci's autobiographySteps after Steps was published in 2013.[5] 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 painterDolores Puthod.[17]
On 20 December 2016, she presented the bookBallerina by the authorRoberto Baiocchi, published by the Giunti publishing house in Florence, for which she signed the preface.[18]
In 1964, Fracci married theatre directorBeppe Menegatti; the couple had a son,[5][19] Francesco.[1] After she retired, they lived nearFlorence.[10]
Fracci died from cancer on 27 May 2021 in Milan, at the age of 84.[5] Her remains are entombed in a crypt at the Famedio in theCimitero Monumentale di Milano, the first woman to be so honored. In accordance with her wishes, cemetery workers were photographed in the act of sealing her tomb, with Menegatti explaining that "without the technicians, there would be no show".[20]
Source:Carla Fracci atIMDb
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Nijinsky | Tamara Karsavina | Herbert Ross | Feature film debut as an actress |
| 1981 | The Lady of the Camellias | Marguerite Gauthier | Mauro Bolognini | Nastro d'Argento – Best Breakout Actress |
| 1982 | The Life of Verdi | Giuseppina Strepponi | Renato Castellani | Miniseries; co-lead role (9 episodes) |
| Venezia, carnevale, un amore | The Lady | Mario Lanfranchi | ||
| 1988 | William Tell | Solo dancer | Riccardo Muti | Filmed stage performance |
| 2021 | Carla | Herself | Emanuele Imbucci | Television film about her life (posthumous release) |
!["[LA GAZZETTA DEL MEZZOGIORNO] Martedì, 20 dicembre 2016. (Vito Prigigallo) Carla Fracci presenta libro di Baiocchi"](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2ffiles.spazioweb.it%2ffa%2fa7%2ffaa75b0c-dda5-46d5-820f-692bf56c7ba7.jpg){kind=link}