{"id":69818,"date":"2021-02-25T14:11:56","date_gmt":"2021-02-25T13:11:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.monaco-tribune.com\/2021\/02\/alessandra-tognoloni-monte-carlo-ballet-without-art-life-would-be-empty-you-would-be-left-with-virtually-nothing\/"},"modified":"2022-11-28T22:11:33","modified_gmt":"2022-11-28T21:11:33","slug":"alessandra-tognoloni-monte-carlo-ballet-without-art-life-would-be-empty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.monaco-tribune.com\/en\/2021\/02\/alessandra-tognoloni-monte-carlo-ballet-without-art-life-would-be-empty\/","title":{"rendered":"Alessandra Tognoloni, Monte-Carlo Ballet: \u201cWithout art, life would be empty”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We met with Alessandra Tognoloni, soloist at the Monte-Carlo Ballet. She spoke to us about the \u201cgenius\u201d that is the choreographer Jean-Christophe Maillot, as well as what it is like to be an artist during a pandemic.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Born in Gubbio Italy, as a child she wanted to become an archaeologist. \u201cI loved watching documentaries about ancient relics and the idea of working with ancient art seemed magical to me,\u201d recalls the dancer. She fell into dance by accident, after trying out several different sports. \u201cStraight away I felt at home,\u201d she tells us. However, this wasn\u2019t the birth of an immediate love story. \u201cI don\u2019t remember there ever being a moment when I said: \u2018Mum, I want to be a dancer.\u2019 It was definitely whilst growing up though that I realised I really loved dancing. I often had to miss out on school trips or going out with my friends so I could go to dance classes. I never felt like I was missing out though, I wanted to change my plans if it meant I could dance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was in love with Jean-Christophe\u2019s choreography<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Self-motivated and committed, she has been the driving force behind all that she has pursued. Alessandra Tognoloni came to Monaco in 2013, after spending ten years at the Stuttgart Ballet. Once she left Germany, she had her sights on one place and one place only: the Monte-Carlo Ballet. \u201cI didn\u2019t want to dance anywhere else\u201d she recalls, smiling. Over the last nine years she has performed some of the leading roles in Jean-Christophe Maillot\u2019s ballets, including: Cinderella, the Taming of the Shrew, Lac, Core Meu and others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What did you want to come to Monte-Carlo so badly?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The ballet here is so unique. They travel a lot and work with many other companies. Not only that, but the director is also a choreographer, so performances combine art with culture. I was in love with Jean-Christophe\u2019s choreography way before I got here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Alessandra Tognoloni and Francesco Mariottini practising for Cenerentola \u00a9 Alice Blangero<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Tell us about Jean-Christophe Maillot\u2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Jean-Christophe expects a lot, but at the same time he\u2019s very understanding. If you have a problem, you can talk to him about it. In terms of choreography, I think he\u2019s a genius. I learn something new from him every day. I remember playing Cinderella, it was my first main role with the ballet, and so the first time I got to work closely with Jean-Christophe. I learnt so much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did he change your understanding of dance?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Jean Christophe wants you to really feel the emotion when you dance. Usually, ballet dancers will study pantomime to help them understand when to be sad or when to be happy. It\u2019s very theatrical. However, Jean-Christophe doesn\u2019t do this, the emotion has to be real and genuine. In Germany, we would learn the steps first and then add in the emotion. Jean-Christophe taught us to do the exact opposite. We let the emotion guide the dance, learning the steps based on the feelings you wanted to convey. Emotion and choreography are very much intertwined. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jean-Christophe Maillot taught me not to fake the emotion in a dance, because not only would you be lying to the audience, but to yourself and to your art<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

When you go on stage, you really have to believe in what you\u2019re dancing. Jean-Christophe tells us that he\u2019ll always laugh if we miss a step or if we fall out of a pirouette. These are technical things, it happens. What he doesn\u2019t find funny is when dancers don\u2019t commit to properly telling a story. He taught me not to fake the emotion in a dance, because not only would you be lying to the audience, but to yourself and to your art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00a9 Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This is perhaps not what you want to be asked, but how was 2020?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It was a very hard year, especially for dancers. We were unable to train at home: there wasn\u2019t enough space and we needed people to dance with. The lack of practise took its toll on our bodies. You have highs and lows. We\u2019re athletes, so we put in the work in order to achieve a goal. We rehearse over and over to then be able to perform on stage. Not knowing what the future held made training very difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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