Q&a / Ballet star Roberto Bolle on dance and discipline, Caravaggio and chiaroscuro
Bolle discusses how dance became his life as he prepares to bring Caravaggio to the Hong Kong Arts Festival in March
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, known as Caravaggio, would have loved to “free” that form trapped in marble – and even more so to paint a statuesque, sculpted body like that of ballet dancer Roberto Bolle. Every muscle in his finely defined physique tells the story of the effort, discipline and sacrifice the international star of classical dance has invested to become who he is today at the age of 50.
The two-act ballet pairs aesthetics and artistry to perfection, synthesising dance, music and visual expression. Inspired by the chiaroscuro and tenebrism of Caravaggio’s paintings, stage lighting is masterfully deployed to sculpt the bodies of some of the world’s finest dancers with striking depth and dynamism.
How did you understand that dance would become your life?
It began almost by chance, because I followed a schoolmate who was taking dance lessons. I was curious about the movements of dance and about what went on in a small provincial school in Piedmont, where I was born. I studied there for a couple of years and then moved to Vercelli, to a more structured academy that I attended three times a week. At the age of 12, I moved to Milan to attend the Academy Ballet School of Teatro alla Scala. Only there I felt a strong impulse – especially after the difficult choice of leaving my home and my family – and I truly understood that this was my passion and my path. I must also thank my family, who did not hold me back – on the contrary, they supported and encouraged me.
Looking back on your 30-year career, since your debut in 1995, what was the most decisive moment?
There were several turning points that marked these 30 years on stage as a principal dancer. One of these was certainly my promotion to principal dancer in 1996. From that moment on, I was able to accept invitations abroad. I travelled a great deal and then detached myself from La Scala, becoming freelance at just 23 years old – free to travel and take on different commitments. It was a career [trajectory] that gave me great satisfaction and was different from that of many colleagues: more freedom, but also more risk.
