Ballet Argentino
Julio Bocca, Artistic Director
Julio Bocca is today considered one of the finest exemplars of classical and contemporary dance at the international level. His repertoire is expansive and includes many of the world's most beloved classical titles, as well as premieres of important new works. He has permanently enriched the field of contemporary dance with his artistry while also realizing a dancer's greatest aspiration by interpreting works created exclusively for him. Born in 1967 in Buenos Aires, he began his studies at the age of 4 under the tutelage of his mother, Nancy. In 1974 he was accepted as a member of the Instituto Superior de Arte del Teatro Colon. Mr. Bocca credits Gloria Kazda, Jose Pares and Ninel Jultyeva as his principal teachers there. He further improved his technique under the watchful eyes of Maggy Black, Lidia Segni and Wilhelm Burmann.
His professional career began in 1982 when he accepted a contract as Principal Dancer of the Fundacion Teresa Carreno de Venezuela and the Teatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The following years found him in a period of intense activity at the Teatro Colon of Buenos Aires as his audience grew. In June 1985, he competed in the fifth International Competition in Moscow and gained an international reputation by winning the Gold Medal in his category.
In 1986 he was engaged as Principal Dancer by the American Ballet Theatre in New York. During his first season Mr. Bocca was honored by The New York Times as Dancer of the Year, a position that has been confirmed by an admiring press and an adoring audience to this day. He performs with ABT every season at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. As guest artist, he has danced with Makarova, Fracci, Ferri, Gregory, Pontois, Ananiashivili and many other notable partners with such companies as the Royal Ballet of London, Moscow's Bolshoi Ballet, the Kirov of St. Petersburg, the Stuttgart Ballet, Oslo Opera Ballet, the Paris Opera, the Teatro Municipal of Santiago de Chile, the National Theatre of Mexico and, of course, the Teatro Colon in Argentina. He also regularly dances in Poland, the Philippines, Greece and Japan, and participates in the most important summer festivals in Europe. He has danced in consecutive productions of "The Giants of Dance" in Paris and in the annual festival in Havana, Cuba. In February 2000, he made his Broadway debut in the musical "Fosse." During the fall of 2001, he starred in the successful Buenos Aires show "Boccatango" at the Maipo Theater. The show, based on tango music choreographed by Ana Maria Stekelman, features eight musicians, two singers and six dancers on stage.
As one of Argentina's most famous celebrities, the Teatro Colon appointed Mr. Bocca as its International Representative in 1990. His continued devotion to his home has lead him to create Ballet Argentino, open his own dance studio in Buenos Aires and most recently establish the Musical Comedy School with Ricky Pashkus.
Mr. Bocca often participates in benefit galas for various public associations such as "Gala des Etoiles" in Canada, "Dance for Life" and "Friends in Deed" in New York and "Crusaid" in London, among many others. His awards and nominations include: Maria Ruanova award "Primus inter Pares" (1986), the "Personality of the Year" recognition in France (1990), the Martin Fierro award for "best performance in a musical show" in Argentina (1991), the King David award by Casa Argentina in Jerusalem (1996), and the Dance Magazine award for "Lifetime Achievement" (1998).
COMPANY HISTORY
In 1990 Julio Bocca's most ambitious dream came true: the creation of his own ballet company to show, in his own country and abroad, the artistic and technical quality of young Argentine dancers.
Ballet Argentino, originally directed by Lidia Segni, gave its first performance in the city of Mar del Plata in the summer of 1990. Now under the artistic direction of Julio Bocca, the company performs continuously in the most important theaters in Europe, Asia, Argentina and throughout the American continents.
Several ballets have been specially created for Julio Bocca and Ballet Argentino. Among them are "Sinfonia Entrelazada" by Mauro Bigonzetti, "Tarde en la Siesta" and "Suite Generis" by Alberto Mendez, and "Blood Grove" by Kevin O'Day. Special versions of classic ballets have also been staged for the company, including Shades from "La Bayadere," the Third Act Suite from "Swan Lake," Balanchine's "Donizetti Variations" and the Third Act Suite from "Don Quixote." Since its inauguration, Ballet Argentino has become a showcase for talented Argentine choreographers, featuring Julio Lopez, Rodolfo Lastra, Oscar Araiz, Ricky Pashkus, Alejandro Cervera, Mauricio Wainrot and Ana Maria Stekelman.
In 1995, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Bocca's Gold Medal at the fifth International Competition in Moscow, Julio Bocca and the dancers of Ballet Argentino presented six hugely successful performances at Luna Park Stadium in Buenos Aires, four New York premiere performances at City Center, and an outdoor performance before 80,000 people sponsored by the Secretary of Culture of the City of Buenos Aires.
In 1996 the company embarked on its "Around the World Tour" to five continents, including engagements at the legendary Mariynsky Theatre (the former Kirov) and at the Hermitage Palace Theatre, becoming the first foreign artists ever to perform on this stage. The company rang in the New Year 2000 dancing in front of millions of fans in Buenos Aires and on live telecast throughout the world (seen on PBS in the United States).
In addition to touring annually throughout the Republic of Argentina, the company has also performed in Australia, China, Colombia, Brazil, Egypt, France, Italy, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, Thailand and Venezuela. The company launches its fourth tour of the United States this spring.
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