The anorexia scandal, started by Teatro alla Scala ballerina Mariafrancesca Garritano, which has had echoes worldwide, at first led to indignation by the public and fellow dancers alike when the theatre fired her for damaging the its reputation. Then the tide started to turn as various professionals – doctors, teachers – with the company and its school said that the accusations were unfounded. Then came various statements from colleagues which said that anorexia was extremely rare.
Now two heavyweight hitters have had their say. Zvetlana Zakharova, in Milan for Giselle which opens tonight, told the Corriere della Sera's Valeria Crippa,
It is a fake scandal created by an unknown in search of publicity. Also at the Bolshoi there are those who try to profit from exaggerating a story. Anorexia in ballet? At the Bolshoi it doesn't exist, if you're not in form you won't survive on stage: there is a natural selection among the students at the Bolshoi.”
And Carla Fracci in Italy's Vanity Fair commented,
Maybe [Garritano] has some personal problems which don't involve ballet. It depends a lot on who you are. Anyway there are other problems. Alcohol for example: in companies abroad especially, you hear of food being replaced by alcohol… beer, vodka, champagne. But also in this case, it is an exception, not the rule… Garritano should examine her conscience.”
Fracci however ended the interview by saying,
Firing her isn't right… It is absurd, trivial, terrible to fire someone.”
Photo: from left, Fracci in Sleeping Beauty, Garritano in Swan Lake, Zakharova in Cinderella
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.
RT @gramilano: Zakharova and Fracci hit back at La Scala dancer’s anorexia claims: “she’s an unknown in s: http://t.co/cGofX8xw #ballet
RT @gramilano: Zakharova and Fracci hit back at La Scala dancer’s anorexia claims: “she’s an unknown in s: http://t.co/cGofX8xw #ballet
@sofsivo Unas declaraciones muy desafortunadas respecto a una bailarina que echaron por denunciar anorexia en La Scala. http://t.co/J0gjIx7E
Strange ….they never addressed the issue that Garrritano raised…what wonderful politicians these two are . Of course we know that the Bolshoi is perfect….”.Now two heavyweight hitters ” – Fracci is retired and Zakharova – well , she is not exactly world class…..but as they say “Opinions are like assholes -everyone has one”.
I have an opinion it is based on the shock I had when seeing how thin the Scala dancers were when they came to dance in London a while back. Things may have changed and Garritano is maybe an unknown but perhaps she worked very hard too and loved her profession but one things for sure, right then I had no desire to audition or take class based on a fear of seeing that there were just too many dancers far too thin at that time and led me to wonder what was going on.