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The ex English National Ballet (ENB) Principal talks about her dance life, her recent guesting and her future...
I’m not that well known in Italy...
As I was being sped along the autostrada from Rome’s airport at Schumacher speed, – I thought I saw Monica Perego (ex English National Ballet Principal) staring down from a huge advertising board. A moment later she was gone. Thanks to the normal Italian Exocet taxi driving she kept reappearing – I thought I'd had too much British Airways champagne- until her 20ft photo was in my face near The Vatican City. Advertising Balleto di Roma’s ‘Juliet and Romeo’ Yes I have got the title right – more of that later. Despite this huge visual presence Monica comes out with ‘I’m not that well known in Italy’ ‘My name appears in Dance Magazines from time to time – but I’m not that well recognised’.
A Dancer who is often seen and is now being heard
The recognition thing is short term - unusually for a ballet dancer she is a natural communicator, clear, articulate, down-to-earth, good fun and a very wise choice for PR work on TV. The Italian stations couldn’t get enough of her this summer. Her previously low Italian profile could perhaps be explained by the fact that, after winning the Benetton Competition at 16, she left to study at the Royal Ballet School in London. Her beautiful ballet legs, feet and her formidable technique were soon noticed by Peter Wright. She joined Birmingham Royal Ballet on a temporary contract - then was hired instantly and permanently (audition in the morning, rehearsals in the afternoon) by English National Ballet – and she stayed.
She grew up in the ENB family
She grew up at ENB - I was one of the lucky ones to see her debut as a tentative Coppelia in Manchester while still in the second year corps de ballet. She quickly learnt to deal with the inevitable jealousy from overlooked soloists and made this role her own years later. She was instantly recognisable by the ENB regulars in class for her floor drilling fouettes and great split leap – if her class put smile on their faces, her performances were a joy and her Don Q sublime. She was odds-on favourite to make principal – and she did. ‘If I saw Derek – I would go up and hug him – as he has made me what I am - focussed - I could always get my leg to 90 degrees - but he pushed me to get it higher. His rehearsals were challenging – but at the end of the hour I felt I had achieved something’.
The three coins in the Fountain worked
The achievements came thick and fast, principal roles (all the classical ones) first nights (though never enough - but then they all say that), work being created on her (remember the little madam she was as small stepsister in Corder’s Cinderella), and critical recognition of her performances. Who could want more? She could. But why?
The reason lies partly with the nature of the company. ENB have perhaps been seen as the ‘Entertainers’ and as such have provided good, traditional crowd-pleasing work guarenteed to fill seats and balance the budgets. As a result after 10 years, the repertoire was becoming restrictive and she increasingly craved something different professionally. The three coins she threw in the Trevi fountains aged 6 worked: Balletto di Roma made her an offer she couldn’t refuse – and she didn’t. It was the right time for her to move.
Sadly it was the wrong time for ENB. She must have been difficult to replace in the Royal Albert Hall season and ENB regulars felt ‘robbed’ – she was always technically so capable but was just getting to the point in her career where it looked so effortless and she had the etherial ballerina quality.
Juliet with attitude
Balletto di Roma is perfect – a ballet/drama company with 16 members (no corps de ballet) all of whom have a part in each production. She is Juliet in ‘Juliet and Romeo’, a role that fits her like a glove.The dancing requires a very articulate body and dramatic intensity rather than flashy technique – which gives her a chance to prove that she can excel at something other than the smouldering senorita in Don Q. She still smoulders as Juliet ….but in a different way. Balletto di Roma’s production is well named: Juliet has attitude, is no shrinking violet and she chooses her own man. Paris does not feature in her plans and is dismissed out of hand, yet she can be so gentle, breathing passion into her sensitive Romeo. With no pointe shoes - she had to refine a whole new skill set. It was a risk.
Monica as Juliet
Photograph by Marco Mancini ©
‘Have I done the right thing?’
‘I was quite happy spending time by myself – and I sometimes wondered “Have I done the right thing?’. This was an understandable question asked by the ENB regulars and herself. Choosing to give up being a principal dancer with a major company in the highly competitive ballet world to widen artistic experience is brave and only those with guts, like Sylvie Guillem do it. Any doubt was soon dispelled by the type of reviews she got
‘In the graceful and classical role of Juliet, Monica Perego, the newly arrived star from ENB added the most beautiful quality of movement’
Danza & Danza, Sept./Oct. 2002, Rossella Battisti
It was a risk that paid off. She was tempted back for another tour which opened last month with an even better contract – you can draw your own conclusion from that.
There is a flight for Japan this afternoon – be on it
During a few days' rest with her family, she got a call completely out of the blue from Teddy Kumakawa’s people (she had done Swan Lake with him on the ENB Japan tour) people begging her to get on a flight to Japan that day to replace the injured Viviana Durante in Sleeping Beauty. She left Italy the next day and did Aurora 4 days later and stayed a month. They wanted her to stay but she had to return to Rome to start rehearsals for Juliet and Romeo.
You don’t realise something is good until it is gone
Monica was almost part of the furniture at ENB after 10 years and it was a shock when she had gone. She weighs less than I bench-press – but she is as strong as an ox – just from the sheer number of shows she did and it was the key to her building her following, some of whom have been to Italy to see her perform. She is not a memory that will fade easily, the flashy pas de deux with Chang, the Coppelia that made you toes curl with pleasure and her passionate Juliet with the elegant, classical Vladislav Bubnov. You don’t realise something is quite so good until it is gone.
What is her next step – teaching
She is the exception to the rule – if you can’t do …..teach. I translated the Balletto di Roma publicity blurb for my 10-year-old daughter who just had to meet her as she had never met a real live ‘Diva’ before. ‘She’s not a diva – she’s Monica, she’s cool, I like her - I wish I had a teacher like her ’ was certainly a good indication if you want to teach kids and Monica does. She’s a natural, kids will just love her enthusiasm and outgoing nature. She has already been invited to teach some repetoire to students – ‘I wanted to give them an experience that they may never have had’ – students from several ballet schools in Lombardy came to her guest-teaching of Paquita. But teaching is a long time away.
And finally… She will hopefully return to ENB as a guest artiste – in the meantime if you want details of where she is performing here is the link to Balletto di Roma. www.arteduemila.it
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