La Scala Ballet School (Milan, Italy, founded 1813)
La Scala Theatre Ballet School is the associate school of La Scala Theatre Ballet. As one of the top ballet schools in the world, it has been home to many famous dancers and directors over the years and has rigorous pre-professional programs for children as young as six. The school is organized into two parts: in the first five years, the students follow a curriculum in both ballet and modern dance, at the end of which they select which type of dance in which they will specialize; the second part is three years of intensive study in their chosen discipline. While the school’s ballet curriculum is based upon the Italian method of ballet, different classes also introduce the pupils to Russian, French, English and American ballet techniques. Famous graduates of the school include Attilia Radice (1914-1980), Carla Fracci (1936-2021) and Roberto Bolle (b. 1975), who is currently a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre and a principal danseur étoile (literally “star dancer”) at La Scala Theatre Ballet.
