Roberto Bolle, who's coming soon to New York (OMG!!!) for Manon and Romeo and Juliet with Alessandra Ferri slams "egotistical" Carla Fracci and snarks his own house, la Scala, in a Corriere della Sera interview today.
Attacking the bureaucratic Italian system of danza classica (unfavorably compared to other countries) he says:
"This system cripples the advancement of new generations of dancers... I consider human but egotistical that an artist such as Carla Fracci remains on the Opera di Roma payroll; not just as a financial issue, but as an artistic issue, too".
Then he concludes that "la Scala is a no. 1 theatre worldwide for opera; for ballet, not so much. The Metropolitan and the American Ballet are numero uno".
Bolle then sends a Valentine to his "favorite", Darcey Bussell, his partner for 8 years at Covent Garden who has just retired. About Bussell and Alessandra Ferri, who is about to retire, too, Bolle says: "... I admire them for the knowledge they so generously shared with me, but especially for the classy decision to retire from splendid careers in the moment of maximum accomplishment and of maximum splendor".
Bolle also repeats once more his devotion to the memory of Rudolf Nureyev: "When I was 15 he gave me the gift of confidence in my abilities, in my vocation. His charisma remained intact to the end".
He owes his (very generous, we have to repeat here: Roberto is not only really talented and incredibly hawt but also has a generous heart) commitment to charity to the example set by Mother Teresa, to whom he is very devoted. He also confesses that he has a bit of a superstitious habit: he lights a small candle in his dressing room for good luck, "if fire regulations allow that!".
About his personal taste in music, he confesses to listening to a lot of Justin Timberlake, not just Tchaikovsky. Rawk your body!
More later on Daniel Barenboim's hissy fit last night at la Scala....