Corpo di Ballo del Teatro alla Scala
Encyclopedia
The La Scala Theatre Ballet is the resident classical ballet company
at La Scala
in Milan
, Italy
. One of the oldest and most renowned ballet companies in the world, the company predates the theatre, but was officially founded at the inauguration of La Scala in 1778. Many leading dancers have performed with the company, including Mara Galeazzi
, Alessandra Ferri
, Roberto Bolle
and Carla Fracci
. The official associate school of the company is the La Scala Theatre Ballet School , a constituent of the La Scala Theatre Academy .
, Alessandra Ferri
, Roberto Bolle
, Massimo Murru, and in the recent past, Carla Fracci
.
Other personalities of the history of classical ballet
associated with the corpo di ballo have been the teachers and choreographers Carlo Blasis
and Enrico Cecchetti
, the ballerinas
Carlotta Grisi
, Caterina Beretta, Carlotta Brianza and the prima ballerina assoluta Pierina Legnani
, among many others.
Although the company was only founded officially after the inauguration of the Teatro alla Scala in 1778, its history can be traced back to Renaissance
courts of Italy, notably in the Sforza family’s splendid palace in Milan, where the classical ballet itself was born as an art form to be later refined at the French court of Louis XIV.
The first nucleus of the company was brought to Milan by the choreographer Gasparo Angiolini
between 1779 and 1789, as part of his reform of serious opera. Milan was also home to Salvatore Viganò
, who experimented his personal interpretation of ballet d’action
(which he called “coreodramma”); this in turn later inspired Carlo Blasis and other choreographers.
Many modern choreographers have collaborated with the corpo di ballo, such as George Balanchine
and Roland Petit
, often to create unique ballets for the company and its étoiles (equivalent of primi ballerini assoluti).
The company's repertoire includes both classical ballets and more modern pieces; among them: Giselle
, the Swan lake
, Excelsior
, the Taming of the Shrew, Carmen
, Onegin, Theme and Variations, and many more.
Many of the company members come from the Scuola di Ballo del Teatro alla Scala
.
Ballet company
A ballet company is a group of dancers who perform ballet, plus managerial and support staff. Most major ballet companies employ dancers on a year-round basis, except in the United States, where contracts for part of the year are the norm...
at La Scala
La Scala
La Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...
in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. One of the oldest and most renowned ballet companies in the world, the company predates the theatre, but was officially founded at the inauguration of La Scala in 1778. Many leading dancers have performed with the company, including Mara Galeazzi
Mara Galeazzi
Mara Galeazzi is an internationally recognized ballet dancer, currently a principal dancer with The Royal Ballet in London, England.-Biography:...
, Alessandra Ferri
Alessandra Ferri
Alessandra Ferri is a retired Italian prima ballerina assoluta. She received her training at the La Scala Theatre Ballet School and the Royal Ballet School...
, Roberto Bolle
Roberto Bolle
Roberto Bolle is an Italian ballet dancer. He is currently a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre and also holds guest artist status with The Royal Ballet and La Scala Theatre Ballet, making regular appearances with both companies.- Overview :...
and Carla Fracci
Carla Fracci
Carla Fracci is a ballet dancer and actress. Her career highlights include Nijinsky, Giselle , Complete Bell Telephone Hour Performances: Erik Bruhn 1961-1967.-FAO Ambassador:...
. The official associate school of the company is the La Scala Theatre Ballet School , a constituent of the La Scala Theatre Academy .
Overview
It is one of the best known Italian ballet companies, and many of its dancers have achieved international fame, such as Mara GaleazziMara Galeazzi
Mara Galeazzi is an internationally recognized ballet dancer, currently a principal dancer with The Royal Ballet in London, England.-Biography:...
, Alessandra Ferri
Alessandra Ferri
Alessandra Ferri is a retired Italian prima ballerina assoluta. She received her training at the La Scala Theatre Ballet School and the Royal Ballet School...
, Roberto Bolle
Roberto Bolle
Roberto Bolle is an Italian ballet dancer. He is currently a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre and also holds guest artist status with The Royal Ballet and La Scala Theatre Ballet, making regular appearances with both companies.- Overview :...
, Massimo Murru, and in the recent past, Carla Fracci
Carla Fracci
Carla Fracci is a ballet dancer and actress. Her career highlights include Nijinsky, Giselle , Complete Bell Telephone Hour Performances: Erik Bruhn 1961-1967.-FAO Ambassador:...
.
Other personalities of the history of classical ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
associated with the corpo di ballo have been the teachers and choreographers Carlo Blasis
Carlo Blasis
Carlo Blasis was an Italian dancer, choreographer and dance theoretician. He is well known for his very rigorous dance classes, sometimes lasting four hours long.Blasis was born in Naples...
and Enrico Cecchetti
Enrico Cecchetti
Enrico Cecchetti was an Italian ballet dancer, mime, and founder of the Cecchetti method. The son of two dancers from Civitanova Marche, he was born in the costuming room of the Teatro Tordinona in Rome. After an illustrious career as a dancer in Europe, he went to dance for the Imperial Ballet in...
, the ballerinas
Ballerina
A ballerina is a title used to describe a principal female professional ballet dancer in a large company; the male equivalent to this title is danseur or ballerino...
Carlotta Grisi
Carlotta Grisi
Carlotta Grisi, real name Caronne Adele Josephine Marie Grisi was an Italian ballet dancer born in Visinada, Istria . She was trained at the ballet school of Teatro alla Scala in Milan and later with dancer/balletmaster Jules Perrot...
, Caterina Beretta, Carlotta Brianza and the prima ballerina assoluta Pierina Legnani
Pierina Legnani
Pierina Legnani was an Italian ballerina, a terre-à-terre virtuosa extraordinaire, considered one of the greatest ballerinas of all time.-Career:...
, among many others.
Although the company was only founded officially after the inauguration of the Teatro alla Scala in 1778, its history can be traced back to Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
courts of Italy, notably in the Sforza family’s splendid palace in Milan, where the classical ballet itself was born as an art form to be later refined at the French court of Louis XIV.
The first nucleus of the company was brought to Milan by the choreographer Gasparo Angiolini
Gasparo Angiolini
Gasparo Angiolini , real name Domenico Maria Angiolo Gasparini, was an Italian dancer and choreographer, and composer. He was born in Florence and died in Milan....
between 1779 and 1789, as part of his reform of serious opera. Milan was also home to Salvatore Viganò
Salvatore Viganò
Salvatore Viganò , was an Italian choreographer, dancer and composer.He was born in Naples. He studied composition with Luigi Boccherini and by the mid-1780s was composing original music. In 1788 he appeared as a dancer on the stage in Venice. He performed in the coronation festivities of...
, who experimented his personal interpretation of ballet d’action
Ballet d'action
Ballet d'action is a ballet movement started by French choreographer Jean Georges Noverre in 1760. It involves expression of character and emotion through dancers' bodies and faces, rather than through elaborate costumes and props...
(which he called “coreodramma”); this in turn later inspired Carlo Blasis and other choreographers.
Many modern choreographers have collaborated with the corpo di ballo, such as George Balanchine
George Balanchine
George Balanchine , born Giorgi Balanchivadze in Saint Petersburg, Russia, to a Georgian father and a Russian mother, was one of the 20th century's most famous choreographers, a developer of ballet in the United States, co-founder and balletmaster of New York City Ballet...
and Roland Petit
Roland Petit
Roland Petit was a French choreographer and dancer born in Villemomble, near Paris, France. He trained at the Paris Opéra Ballet school, and became well known for his creative ballets.-Biography:...
, often to create unique ballets for the company and its étoiles (equivalent of primi ballerini assoluti).
The company's repertoire includes both classical ballets and more modern pieces; among them: Giselle
Giselle
Giselle is a ballet in two acts with a libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Théophile Gautier, music by Adolphe Adam, and choreography by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot. The librettist took his inspiration from a poem by Heinrich Heine...
, the Swan lake
Swan Lake
Swan Lake ballet, op. 20, by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, composed 1875–1876. The scenario, initially in four acts, was fashioned from Russian folk tales and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. The choreographer of the original production was Julius Reisinger...
, Excelsior
Excelsior
Excelsior is a Latin and archaic English word meaning "ever higher". It may refer to:- Literature and music :* "Excelsior" , a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow...
, the Taming of the Shrew, Carmen
Carmen
Carmen is a French opéra comique by Georges Bizet. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée, first published in 1845, itself possibly influenced by the narrative poem The Gypsies by Alexander Pushkin...
, Onegin, Theme and Variations, and many more.
Many of the company members come from the Scuola di Ballo del Teatro alla Scala
Scuola di Ballo del Teatro alla Scala
La Scala Theatre Ballet School is one of the leading classical ballet schools in the world and is the associate school of La Scala Theatre Ballet, an international ballet company based at La Scala in Milan, Italy...
.