Bolle’s Back: the 2014 tour and being boss at La Scala

The Roberto Bolle and Friends road show gets under way again this summer, from 18 July, with a date at the Verona Arena on the 22nd, and finishing at the end of the month, taking in Genoa, Rome, Trieste and Torre del Lago. The mix of classical and contemporary, solos and pas de deux is a familiar one, though Roberto Bolle himself will be dancing some pieces for the first time.

One is completely new, which comes from the film Passage by Fabrizio Ferri which was shown at last year's Venice Film Festival.

The six-minute film, with choreography by Marco Pelle, shows the growth of a young man which, on stage, will be recreated by use video projections by Ferri, and Bolle will dance with Polina Semionova, as in the film. Then he will partner Alicia Amatriain in Monolisa, which he has danced only once before when he received the Unesco medal, and Twyla Tharp's Sinatra Suite with Julie Kent.

Oggi magazine's Cinzia Nicoletto asked him if there was a place in Italy he would particularly like to perform,

Pompei. Unfortunately it has become a symbol of the neglect of the artistic heritage and the monuments in this country. It is the symbol of a typically Italian way to run things.

Bolle is a strong supporter for tax breaks to stimulate corporate involvement in the arts as happens in many other countries, especially in America where he has a home, and is pleased that Matteo Renzi's government is supporting such incentives.

He denies that there are plans to work with his friend Baz Luhrmann – though, “It would be a dream to do even a cameo” – he does, however, have another dream:

I'd like to direct the La Scala ballet company… when I stop dancing I'd like to teach.

Next year he'll be forty.

But it's difficult to give yourself deadlines because it depends on how you feel from one season to the next, and how your body responds. Think of Alessandra Ferri who after seven years has decided to return to dance.

And they are talking about teaming up again,

Yes, we will do something together. After doing her farewell tour, we'll now dance for her new beginning.

ROBERTO BOLLE AND FRIENDS

Friday 18 July
Teatro Carlo Felice – Genoa

Saturday 19 July
Teatro Carlo Felice – Genoa

Tuesday 22 July
Arena di Verona – Verona

Friday 25 July
Terme di Caracalla – Rome

Sunday 27 July
Teatro Rossetti – Trieste

Tuesday 29 July
Gran Teatro all'aperto – Torre del Lago

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.