Scarpette Rosa (Pink Shoes) with Italy’s great ballet star, Carla Fracci

In 1967, so great was the fame of Italian ballerina Carla Fracci, that the RAI television dedicated an evening to her with a ‘musical' – Scarpette Rosa (Pink Shoes).

What is extraordinary is the presence of so many Italian stars who had no trouble in playing second fiddle to this young dancer. From the legendary pop singer Mina to opera singer Giuseppe di Stefano, from grand actors such as Tino Carraro and Lina Volonghi to comedy geniuses Walter Chiari and Franca Valeri, all were content to give cameo perfromances alongside the petite Milanese Fracci.

The result is something of a hotchpotch, but enjoyable nevertheless, with the chance to see Carla Fracci in version Mary Quant! From disco to The Sleeping Beauty she shows a versatility which was rare during the period, and reminds us why she is a great star.

Scapette Rosa – a Rai Trade DVD

Gramilano( Editor )

Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano') about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.

His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia' column for Dancing Times magazine.