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I was the attraction
of my father's friends,

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because I danced with my father,
we danced waltz, tango, etc.

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Everyone stopped to watch
that little girl,

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how she moved, how she followed
music and steps.

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When I eventually enrolled
in the La Scala theatre,

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when I finally reached
the right age, I was 10,

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I thought I was going to dance
waltz or tango,

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as I did with my dad's friends
and with my dad.

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But I had to do very tough
exercises, instead,

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at the barre,

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and that barre stays with you
during your path,

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as far as you can continue.

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Those were the daily exercises
and it had to be like that.

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When there was the selection,

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the teacher,
Mrs Ettorina Mazzucchelli,

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who was the director
of the ballet at that time,

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she said, passing by
while watching the kids:

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"This girl is very delicate,
her ankles are very thin,

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but she's got a pretty face",

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she said that in dialect,
she was Milanese.

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I didn't really understand
what a theatre was,

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I discovered it little by little,
with the curiosity of a girl.

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I watched
the most important rehearsals,

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with Maria Callas, with Tebaldi,
with great singers,

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and great orchestra conductors.

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It was also a way to understand
what a theatre was.

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The teacher is essential.
It is the person who watches you,

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who knows where they have
to correct you, your flaws,

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even the physical ones.

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My feet were weak,
I had to work on them,

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to strengthen them,
to strengthen my instep,

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I had to put my feet under the
radiator, to stretch them,

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and improve my instep.

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What a ballerina does
is almost unnatural,

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it is all en dehors, outward.

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We look like ducks
when we walk.

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It is against nature,
it is an effort,

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to work on your body,

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and if it is just pain...

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it does not work.

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In ballet...

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there is not only the technique.

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You improve your technique
with a constant and daily work,

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with the preparation, rehearsals.

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There is also a stylistic fact,
which is very important.

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Let's not forget that you must
have a rapport with your partner,

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you are not alone as a star,
as an étoile,

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you are not by yourself.

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You must involve everybody,

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the performance, the show,
means getting everyone involved,

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the audience feel that.

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And the audience feel
that you are being true,

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that you believe in
what you are doing.

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I loved all my partners.

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You must cooperate,
feel a harmony,

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feel a synergy with partners,

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we are not separate individuals
thinking for themselves,

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it cannot happen.
It can teach you a lot,

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but then you experience
a transformation,

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with emotions that come
from music,

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the emotions you feel
with your partner,

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each night you have to feel
them in a different way.

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We are not machines,
it is not a routine act,

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if it becomes a routine
that is wrong,

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even just thinking that.

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They say you should not leave
your company, your theatre,

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but sometimes you need
to open your mind,

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to see and experience more,

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to evolve, to see how you can
deal with difficulties.

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It makes you understand...

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that what is too comfortable,
with dress rehearsals,

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or the one before that,
all those rehearsals,

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it does not exist abroad.
You have your own strength,

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your way to show
yourself to the audience,

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and the pretty face is not enough.

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Then I had obstinacy,
a strength, a will,

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a need, for myself,
to always give my best.

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Then there were confrontations,
competitions,

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it happens in companies,
you have to insert yourself,

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see how you integrate
and how the audience welcome you.

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Luckily enough, I have always been
welcomed with a great success,

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I still have an entourage,
both in Italy and abroad,

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it gives me courage,

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it supports me, and it makes me
happy thinking to what I've done.

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What's important is loyalty,
courage,

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not having your head in the clouds.

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People will tell you
to stay grounded,

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even if they put you up there,

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you need to keep
your feet on the ground,

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you need to understand...

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that you can reach anything

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just with honesty, with loyalty
towards your job.

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I don't like it when...

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when they say: "I'm in a minor
theatre, so I don't give my best",

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it never happened to me.

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I have an international reputation,

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it is my duty and
it is a need that I feel,

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that of working with young people,
to pass on my experience.

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You cannot keep on thinking
about the past,

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the past is beautiful, exciting,

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it is full of beautiful things,
important events and encounters,

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but you need to look ahead,
to look to the future,

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especially to the future
of the young ones.