📍Milan, Lombardy, Italy
1963 – 1980“Alessandra Ferri was born in Milan in May 1963 and grew up in and around the city, later moving with her family to Monza, just to the north. Her parents did not go to the theatre, but from a very young age Alessandra was determined to dance, and she told them she wanted to go to dance school. Her mother supported her, and persuaded her father to let her attend secondary school at the ballet school of Teatro alla Scala, the great opera house in the heart of Milan. She trained at La Scala's school as a girl, travelling in each day, and she was a passionate, expressive young dancer, more interested in drama and emotion than in technique for its own sake. At fifteen she left Milan to join the Royal Ballet School in London, a brave move for a teenager who spoke little English. In 1980 she represented the school at the Prix de Lausanne and won a prize, which allowed her to continue her studies on a scholarship, and a few months later, at seventeen, she joined the Royal Ballet. She rose quickly: Kenneth MacMillan created roles for her, and she was made principal dancer in 1983, at twenty. In 1985 Mikhail Baryshnikov invited her to join American Ballet Theatre in New York, and she became one of the greatest dramatic ballerinas of her time, famous above all for her Juliet. She was also principal guest artist at La Scala, returning to the theatre where she had trained. She retired in 2007, but returned to the stage in her fifties, dancing new works by Wayne McGregor.”
🗺️ Approximate location today
📍 Street view today