Promotions at La Scala Ballet Company: Martina Arduino, Virna Toppi and Timofej Andrijashenko become Principals

The official announcement will be made soon, but Martina Arduino, Virna Toppi and Timofej Andrijashenko are promoted as Principal Dancers of La Scala‘s Ballet Company. Gramilano is particularly happy as Arduino in July 2016 was featured in a review: Martina Arduino in Ratmansky’s Swan Lake – a ballet star is born at La Scala? Then those who read my column in Dancing Times will know what I thought of Andrijashenko in La Dame aux Camélias which I also reviewed on this blog in Zakharova, Bolle and Manni are excellent Principals in La Dame aux Camélias, but Andrijashenko steals the show at La Scala.

Other promotions see Christian Fagetti (last year I wrote: “Note to management: Fagetti dances consistently well in the many roles he is assigned… shouldn’t he be a soloist by now?”), Nicola Del Freo (“Del Freo has the most incredible feet, his stretched leg is like a steel rod, and he possesses a clean and secure double tour en l’air, which both he and Andrijashenko finished with the deepest and softest of pliés.”), Alessandra Vassallo and Maria Celeste Losa become Soloists.

Gramilano Editor

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.