Under the curation of Paola Calvetti and Livia Corbò, teamed alongside the settings by Margherita Palli nestled within La Scala’s museum, the exhibit features first-of-its-kind imagery of revered photographer Gérard Uféras—highlighting the artists of the Milanese company.
MILAN, ITALY – Photographer Gérard Uféras—author of important books on the Paris Opera Ballet Corps and the Bol’šoj—regularly visited La Scala from 2017 to 2023 to document the activities of its corps de ballet, following dancers, maître d’ and choreographers in the ballroom, on stage and behind the scenes.
His work now sits at the heart of a book edited by Paola Calvetti and published by Il Saggiatore, and of an exhibition curated by Paola Calvetti and Livia Corbò staged at the La Scala’s Museum from February 12 to September 14, entitled ‘Lo sguardo nascosto – La danza dietro il sipario’ (The hidden gaze, NDR).
Gérard Uféras © Jean Turco
The book contains over a hundred photographs divided into a black and white section mainly dedicated to the preparation work in the rehearsal room and a colour section dedicated to the stage. It was edited by Paola Calvetti, who also created the text on the photographer and dance, while Valeria Crippa delved into the history and characteristics of the Company.
A silent witness, careful to capture that special humanity of the dancers, Uféras allows us to see what the public does not see. Looking beyond the familiar, he crosses the dancers’ stories with the truth behind the image of a world of aesthetic perfection. The photographer’s lens, lingering on the curious details of the choreography of life, is surprised by the unexpected in a scenic space of perfect bodies and life lived as if on a perpetual stage.
Paola Calvetti e Livia Corbò Allestimento: Margherita Palli Studio Fotografie: © Gérard Uféras
Paola Calvetti e Livia Corbò Allestimento: Margherita Palli Studio Fotografie: © Gérard Uféras / Photo Op
Not a photographic report, therefore, on the La Scala Ballet Company today, but the documentation of a journey: Gérard Uféras investigates the human experience through the daily life of the La Scala ballet company and accompanies the visitor into the ‘secret’ rooms of the rehearsal room, the stage before the performance, behind the scenes of the theatre. The book is set to be released in bookshops on February 28.
The exhibit’s itinerary, conceived by Margherita Palli and Valentina Dellavia, recreates the museum’s rehearsal rooms and backstage areas, which are the typical day of a dancer up to the moment before entering the stage. Alongside the photos, a series of objects and installations remind us of the long journey of dance at La Scala, from the myths of romantic ballet to the present day.
Répétition du Corsaire de Anna Marie Holmes © Gérard Uféras
Répétition de La Dame aux Camélias de John Neumeier © Scala di Milano
The spectator is greeted by a slipper of the legendary Fanny Elssler, an icon of 19th-century dance who was challenged at La Scala during the Renaissance years because she was Austrian; more recent myths are evoked by the costumes worn by Carla Fracci and Rudolf Nureyev in The Nutcracker.
The exhibition rooms are also inhabited by paper sculptures created by Caterina Crepax that trace the history of the tutu from the 19th century to the present day. Contemporary dance is represented by the video installation ‘Beyond the Veil’ by choreographer and director Valentina Moar with visual artists Judith Selenko and Peter Venus, composer Bojan Vuletić and dancers Stefania Ballone and Alberto Terribile: a work that transforms movement into a flow of images and sounds.
Ballet du Teatro Alla Scala Milan © Gérard Uféras
A video curated by Paola Calvetti and Vito Lorusso completes the exhibition that continues on the panels in the Foyer, which host images dedicated to the daily life of the company, between individual commitment and collective participation.
The exhibition sees, for the first time, the presence of Ferragamo who wanted, with its support, to affirm its commitment to celebrate the art and beauty of dance.
by Chidozie Obasi