The New York Times described Milan-born artist Alessandra Ferri as »one of the greatest dramatic dancers of all time«. She began her training at the school of Teatro alla Scala and then attended the Royal Ballet School in London. In 1980, Ms Ferri won the prestigious Prix de Lausanne and joined the Royal Ballet that same year. In 1983, she rose to prominence when Sir Kenneth MacMillan selected the 19-year-old dancer for leading roles in his ballets »Romeo and Juliet«, »Manon« and »Mayerling«. Sir MacMillan went on to choreograph a number of roles for her, making her Principal Dancer with the Royal Ballet too. In 1985, Mikhail Baryshnikov invited Ms Ferri to join American Ballet Theatre, where she danced as a Principal until 2007. At Teatro alla Scala in Milan, where she danced from 1992 until 2007, she was given the title Prima Ballerina Assoluta. The Italian dancer has worked with many of the great choreographers of our time including Sir Frederick Ashton, Jerome Robbins, Anthony Tudor, Agnes De Mille, Roland Petit, Jiří Kylián, John Neumeier, William Forsythe and Twyla Tharp. In 2006, Ms Ferri received the Cavaliere Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana by President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi. She was also awarded numerous prestigious international prizes such as the Dance Magazine Award, the Prix Benois de la Danse and Sir Lawrence Olivier Award in 1983 and 2016. Between 2008 and 2014, she was the Director of Dance Programming at the Spoleto Festival in Italy. After a six-year absence from the stage, Alessandra Ferri reappeared at the Spoleto Festival in 2013 by presenting »The Piano Upstairs«, a dance-play that she had conceived and choreographed, written by John Weidman and featuring Boyd Gaines. The Signature Theater production of »Chéri« marked her return to the US-American Stage. In 2015, Wayne McGregor created for her the role of Virgina Woolf  in »Woolf Works« at the Royal Ballet, and Mr Neumeier the female lead in his »Choreographic Fantasies inspired by Eleonora Duse« performed with the Hamburg Ballet. In May 2018, the ballerina premiered in »Afterite« at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, a new creation by Wayne McGregor for American Ballet Theatre. In January 2019, she performed in the »Trio ConcertDance« on the opening night of the new Linbury Theatre. Another significant role has made part of Alessandra Ferri’s repertoire since June 2019:  Winnie in Maurice Béjart’s »L’Heure Exquise« inspired by Samuel Beckett’s play »Oh, les beaux jours (Happy Days)«.   (Status: 2023)