Her cascading waves of chocolate brown hair were let loose, falling just shy of her waist, while her heart-shaped face and saucer-sized eyes swarmed with sentiment. After the final curtain, the audience rose as one and cheered for 20 minutes.
Born in Milan, Ferri was first cast as Shakespeare’s leading lady in 1984 by Royal Ballet choreographer Kenneth MacMillan. That following year, the 21-year-old was summoned from London to become a principal dancer for the American Ballet Theatre, where she made her company debut as Juliet. So when Ferri, by then a mother of two, retired in 2007, there was no doubt as to whether Juliet should be her soulful farewell role. “Juliet has always been with me,” she says fondly in an irresistible, rolling accent. “I never got tired of her. Every time I perform Juliet, I find a new emotion or new detail.”
From the moment Ferri rushes on stage, she is unstoppable. There’s a raw and overwhelming surge of emotion, which pulsates through each performance. Barely skimming the ground, her featherweight frame dramatically leaps through the air, landing almost silently, except for the muffled thud of her pointe slippers. There’s a sense of certainty to her dancing, and after all, why wouldn’t there be? Ferri’s played Juliet her entire working life and knows the character absolutely. “It’s a role that has always been a part of me. I honestly don’t know how to explain it,” she laughs incredulously. “Maybe I’ve danced her before. You know, in a previous life.”
The response to her return has been wildly positive, but critics have commented that her footwork, nine years on, lacks precision. Still in proud possession of implausibly arched insteps, this ‘weakness’ merely adds to her already magnetic impetuousness. “I rehearse a lot,” she beams, before adding, “but technically, I never worry.” A victory for freedom of expression onstage, Ferri’s spontaneous and carefree attitude is part of her entrancing charm. “I don’t want to think about anything when I go onstage. I just let it happen, whatever comes to me. It’s really special to be able to go onstage like that.”
But, while she retains a dramatic flair, Ferri is all too aware that only a handful of ballerinas are given the opportunity to dance into their fifties. She enjoys her job, admitting that she loves to travel with the dance company, but feels compelled to remark, “I do understand that I’m not in the general rule.” Dance as a career requires an extraordinarily high level of commitment, as well as extensive periods of training, which is emotionally and physically demanding. It’s unsurprising that the retirement age hovers around 40, despite ballerinas reportedly having a pain threshold three times higher than the average person.
It’s ironic that the crucial time at which dancers are maturing as artists is also the time at which their bodies begin to decline in strength. Despite this, Ferri argues that aging performers are able to continue dancing professionally, but only “if they are willing to put the work in”. This can be further complicated if a dancer wants marriage and a family. Mature performers are often forced to choose between their career and motherhood, which can be as complex and emotionally exhausting as the dancing itself. Ferri describes having children as “really amazing”.
But, balancing work and her responsibilities at home became troublesome. “At one point, it [her career] created a lot of stress that stemmed from me having to leave my children when I was going on tour, which I did a lot. I have an international career so I was travelling a lot and often had to leave them behind.” She had not intended to perform again after 2007, instead wanting to spend time with family. But Ferri, one of the most admired ballerinas of her generation, did not have much patience for retirement. “It [dancing] never leaves you,” she smiles. “Even when you give it up professionally, that passion is always there.”
And, it’s essential if you’re to maintain the exercise regime of a professional ballerina. MOJEH spoke with Ferri moments before her morning dance rehearsal in Manhattan, during which time she undoubtedly warms up at the ballet barres. Tendu and demi-pliés are practiced daily, as well as pirouettes and swan-like grand jetés. A woman’s physical capability, or lack thereof, underpins tacit gendered and ageist assumptions in this industry. Like any championship-level sport, ballet favours the young. “All of us have injuries; wear and tear,” says Ferri. “This is natural, not just among dancers, but for anybody who uses their body intensely.”
And yet, she refuses to accept that a ballerina’s age should force her to change careers. “It’s no secret that as you get older, it’s a little harder to do certain things. But, you just need to train more….” She tails off, almost wistfully, before robustly adding, “Actually, not more, just differently.
“You have to take the time to understand your body. You must accept what is getting weaker and what you feel needs more work.”
Dancers shouldn’t feel disappointed at being compared to their younger self, insists Ferri, who proved herself correct in a television advert for No7 Lift and Luminate earlier this year. The commercial makes no effort to conceal her age; instead, she is seen dancing with a hologram of her younger self, proving that age really is just a number. Ferri’s recent performance as Juliet also proves that a mature female dancer can have charisma. Unfortunately, financial restraints within the industry often prevent the casting of these women. “When you have a big company, you need to have young dancers who are able to do everything. You don’t have a big budget. It would be amazing if you had, so that you could keep talented, older dancers in the company.”
Artistic directors and choreographers also have a duty to nurture the younger generation of performers, argues Ferri. “You need to train these dancers, so that they are able to fulfill all of the roles and succeed in the future.” Perhaps Ferri is right. Ask any young ballerina what role she’d most like to play and the answer is almost always the same: Juliet. A role Ferri has played for decades, since she herself was 19 years old. There is something tragically relatable about the character, not to mention the powerful cinematic score by Prokofiev.
The exquisite brunette’s closing words were more encompassing. “It’s important to not lose contact with the original reason why you wanted to dance,” she concludes. People with an overriding desire to be widely known to strangers are different from those who primarily covet happiness. “That’s the great pleasure and great fulfillment in dance. It’s not about achieving success. A lot of dancers, and a lot of people in different fields, want to achieve fame. It’s not fame you should be seeking, that’s a consequence.”
