Roberto Bolle will dance in Abu Dhabi to his own tune.
The Italian ballet star will take the stage at Emirates Palace on February 28 in an Abu Dhabi Festival performance featuring a classic and contemporary programme curated by the dancer.
Bolle tells The National that such gala performances are vital in keeping him refreshed and engaged.
“They are rare opportunities for me to choose the repertoire and present myself in a way I want and explore the topics I am interested in,” he says.
“As someone who often dances in main opera houses, it is often the director that chooses the repertoire, so the opportunity to experience this kind of freedom and to experiment with new things is interesting to me.”
The concept, which debuted in Italy in 2000, has also become internationally successful, providing a more accessible way for people to experience a man who is one of the greatest dancers of his generation.
Trained in Milan's La Scala Theatre Ballet School, Bolle, 46, went on to build a successful career with starring roles in productions by prestigious companies including London's The Royal Ballet, Russia's Mariinsky Ballet and Paris Opera Ballet.
His performances have been praised for a style that blends lyricism and technical refinement with a bubbling sensuality.
The movie star looks don’t hurt either: Bolle is a hit on the small screen and stars in Danza Con Me (Dance with me), an annual television special that is broadcast on New Year's Day in Italy.
Coming back to ballet, the dancer says: “We are back with the fifth edition now and the show has become very popular. It goes on for about two and a half hours and includes myself performing several classical and contemporary pieces with special guests from the entertainment world.”
While the show is light entertainment, it also serves an important purpose.
The ballet industry in Italy is struggling, Bolle admits, and it requires government support to keep it sustainable.
“I have been raising awareness about this for years and the television show is part of it,” he says.
“I even spoke in the Italian parliament about the importance of this issue.”
The problem is not the lack of government funding in the arts, states Bolle, but in how the money is administered.
“Basically what is happening here in Italy is that the government is providing good support by sending funds to the theatres, but then it is up to them how to use it.
“Over here, it is opera and music that are more popular than ballet, so that support doesn't always come to us,” he says.
“I am advocating for better protection for ballet and more attention [to be] given to what we are doing. I also have to say the government has understood the situation and are taking steps, I believe, to make the changes needed.”
Until support arrives, Bolle will promote the art form through extensive Italian tours of his gala show.
“They are important because they provide an example of what a successful ballet show looks like,” he says.
“And we have performed in many parts of Italy and are getting a new generation of people to come and experience ballet for the first time.”
For Bolle, the freedom coming from these shows is not only down to his hand-picked material.
His Abu Dhabi performance was pushed back a month as a safety precaution amid the Covid-19 pandemic, and the dancer explains that the opportunity to return to regular touring after 18 months is emotional.
“For us to stay home and not move is difficult, because we can't practice our routines and keep our body ready,” he says.
“To come to Abu Dhabi and then do a big summer tour across Italy in July is beautiful. I feel very grateful.”
Roberto Bolle and Friends — A Ballet Gala by Roberto Bolle will take place at Emirates Palace on February 28. Show starts at 8pm. Tickets are sold out but you can register for unclaimed tickets at the venue's box office from 5.30pm, with notifications at 7pm. More information on Abu Dhabi Festival is available at abudhabifestival.ae
