La Scala star brings ballet to Olympic masses

By Giada Zampano

MILAN (Reuters) – It won’t be “Swan Lake” when Roberto
Bolle pirouettes through the opening ceremony of the Winter
Olympics in Turin next month.

The La Scala ballet star will be swapping crystal
chandeliers for laser beams and Tchaikovsky for pop music.

However, the masses of teenaged Italian fans who have
turned Bolle into a pop star of dance are likely to love it.

“I hope it will continue to be like that, attracting
crowds, sparking the interest of those who weren’t passionate
about dance and ballet before. I think it’s a task I can take
on,” the blue-eyed dancer told Reuters in an interview.

Bolle is known as the “prince charming” of Italian dance.
His looks and romantic roles prompt scores of teenage girls to
queue for his autograph, rare for a classical dancer.

He has also conquered older audiences and critics with
performances in London, Moscow and Tokyo. The crowds love him
for media-friendly spectacles such as dancing for Pope John
Paul in St. Peter’s Square.

The opening ceremony for the Turin Olympics, near his home
town, will be a bombastic mix of sports and showbiz, featuring
skaters with helmets that shoot flames, but taking part in it
is more than just a nod to pop culture for Bolle.

“That marriage between classic and modern styles created
for the Olympics will be interesting. For me, because it pushes
me to explore different ways of moving, and for dance as a
whole, because we’ve conquered a place in the spotlight in an
Olympic ceremony, with the world watching,” he told Reuters in
the newly renovated La Scala theater.

CHILLY CHALLENGE

Bolle revealed some details of the ceremony, which
organizers have kept secret apart from a presentation on the
flame-shooting skaters and the shape of the arena.

The stadium will be almost bare and the dancers will wear
futuristic costumes designed by Italian Daniela Dal Cin, moving
to contemporary choreography by Enzo Cosimi.

The show will be divided into four segments and Bolle
dominates the dance section, accompanied by about 100 dancers.

“It won’t be easy. I’m a bit worried by the conditions that
we’ll face in a stadium,” Bolle said. “The cold will be quite a
challenge: I’ve already caught a cold.”

While it may grate to traditionalists, Bolle’s open-minded
take on ballet is in tune with La Scala’s moves to embrace new
faces.

The grande dame of Italian music ushered in the new season
this year with 30-year-old British conductor Daniel Harding,
who replaced veteran Riccardo Muti for the opening night.

Muti resigned last year after months of stormy negotiations
with the theater and has not yet been permanently replaced.

Bolle has also worked with avant-garde choreographers such
as William Forsythe and Jiri Kylian and wants to continue
working on new dance styles.

“But I won’t give up the role of ‘prince of Italian dance’
for now,” he said with a smile.

“I’ll keep it. It sounds good and I like it.”