Mara Galeazzi created Dancing for the Children to raise and distribute funds to help children around the world.
Mara Galeazzi was born in Brescia and studied at La Scala, Milan, where she got her diploma with full marks. She joined The Royal Ballet in 1992 and was promoted to First Artist in 1995, Soloist at the end of 1997/98 Season and Principal in 2003. In November 2003 Mara received the nomination as Best Female Dancer at Critics’ Circle National Dance Award. In February 2005, after a Charity Gala in her home town of Brescia, Mara became an honorary member of Soroptimist International, a worldwide organisation for woman in management and the professions aimed at equality, development and peace. In May 2006 she is appointed ‘Best Italian Dancer Abroad’ (Danza & Danza Award). On the 17th March 2009 Mara was awarded the medal “Cavaliere Del Lavoro” (Knighthood) by the President of Italy.
Roles in the classical repertory include leading role in Fokine’s Firebird, Marie, Sugarplum Fairy and Rose Fairy in Nutcracker, Giselle and Myrtha in Giselle, Medora in Le Corsaire, Gamazatti in Natalia Makarova’s La Bayadère, the leading role in Paquita divertissement, Aurora’s wedding pas de deux and Bluebird pas de deux in the Sleeping Beauty, the Act 1 Pas de Trois in Swan lake, the Talisman Pas de deux with Irek Mukhamedov and Ruldolf Nureyev’s Raymonda Act 111. The list is endless you can see more on Dancing for the Children website.
Mara says: “I strongly believe in giving something back to the world and helping children. When I was eight years old I told mt Mother that I wanted to be a nurse – and not just a regular nurse, but a paediatrics nurse in Africa. We had studied Africa in school and I will never forget that. My pre-teens urge to help has not dwindled and that is why it was important for me to be actively involved. So, if I can use my career to help these children, to develop their souls, that’s a project that I hold close to my heart. In 2010 and 2011 Mara organised Galas at Sadler’s Wells, ‘the home of dance’ to raise funds for these charities in Africa which Dancing for the Children supports.
Mara’s receiving the Knighthood from the President of Italy.
Since retiring from The Royal Ballet, Mara is a freelance performer and dances all around the world.
First Step Ballet, McGregor as so proud to be sponsored by Dancing for the Children, thank you Mara Galeazzi!
For more information on Mara and Dancing for the Children go to:
www.dancingforthechildren.com
www.maragaleazzi.com