Italian ballet dancer and actress Carla Fracci, UK, 7th August 1970. (Photo by Evening ... [+]
She died in her home, in Milan, earlier this week, after a long illness. Carla Fracci, 84, was one of the most renowned étoiles at La Scala and one of the most beloved ballerinas in Italy. Having danced on many of the world’s most famous stages, she is a worldwide icon of Italian ballet, also named “prima ballerina assoluta” by the New York Times in 1981.
Born on August 20th, 1938, in Milan, Fracci (whose original first name is actually Carolina) was the daughter of Luigi Fracci, a tram driver, and Santina Rocca, a factory worker. She first entered the Scala dancing school in 1946, through family acquaintances. Her slim figure and delicate features made her perfect for the role. She would then become famous for her interpretation skills, which allowed her to almost completely merge with her characters. Among the most popular is “Giselle”, a woman driven to madness and death by her lover’s betrayal.
During school years, she met and took British dancer Margot Fonteyn as her role model. She would then inspire many other dancers after her, including Roberto Bolle and Alessandra Ferri, who have become international stars themselves. Once graduated, in 1954, she became a full member of the Teatro alla Scala ballet company, dancing on the same stage where Maria Callas was debuting. But it was in 1955 that she had the opportunity that changed her life and paved the way for a bright career: she replaced étoile Violette Verdy in the play ‘Cinderella’, with an impressive performance. Two years later, she became a principal dancer.
In 1964 she got married with Beppe Menegatti, assistant to director Luchino Visconti. During her international career, she worked at the Royal Ballet in London, the Stuttgart Ballet, the Royal Swedish Ballet and the American Ballet Theater. She also danced with Rudol'f Nureev, Milorad Miskovich and Vladimir Vasil'ev and many of the most well-known dancers at the time. Fracci has performed leading characters in several romantic ballets, such as La Sylphide, Giselle, Swan Lake, and Romeo and Juliet and for many years was a director at a number of ballet companies, including those at the San Carlo theater in Naples, the Arena di Verona and the Opera di Roma. Overall, she interpreted more than 200 roles over a 65-year long career.
