In 1974 at Milan's Teatro alla Scala the 37-year-old Carla Fracci danced a series of 20 performances of John Field's Swan Lake with three different partners: Rudolf Nureyev, Roberto Fascilla and Richard Cragun.
Cragun, who died last month at 67, was the star of the Stuttgart Ballet company, and he charmed the Milanese audience with his noble bearing and physical beauty.
A true prince.
Photos: Carla Fracci and Richard Cragun in Swan Lake, Teatro alla Scala 1974 – collection of Carlo Orlandi
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.
