Six dancing legs came onto the world stage 75 years ago, today
Today is the birthday of three European dancing ladies: Germany’s Kessler twins, Alice and Ellen, and Italy‘s Carla Fracci. They weren’t only born on the same day, August 20, but in the same year, 1936.
There is a wonderful Italian television programme from the ’70s with all three together dancing with top hats and canes. Fracci loved the opportunity to let her hair down – and did it beautifully.
All three are still working (the Kesslers also sing), and have become icons of dance and entertainment. The recording of Fracci’s Giselle with Erik Bruhn is still the best selling version in history.
Happy 75th Birthday(s)!
Photo: a pause during the studio recording of “An Evening with Carla Fracci”
Graham Spicer, aka ‘Gramilano’, is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the Danza in Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Italian ballerina Carla Fracci.
Graham also works as a dance photographer, and his photos have appeared in many books, theatre programmes, and magazines, including Dancing Times, Dance Spirit and Ballet2000, as well as all the major Italian newspapers.
He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.
