Julio Bocca – Teatro Colón's (Buenos Aires) Artistic Director: An interview - Part 1 (September 10th, 2025)

Julio Bocca – Teatro Colón's (Buenos Aires) Artistic director and, at the present moment, coaching with Alessandra Ferri the Principal Dancers from this Season's first performances of „Giselle" under Miss Ferri's direction.

Do you remember my „slogan“ for „attitude“, for this dance platform?

It's about looking at things differently.

To tell a long story short: I never cease to learn from this quote above.

The underground had run late, and I was hurrying to get to the „Meridien Hotel" on time. It was a late afternoon of a late Summer day. One begins to realise that somehow Autumn is not far away, and that Summer is coming abruptly to an End. I found a nice table in a quiet corner, sat down, not yet anticipating that a unique situation would take place.

Suddenly, Mr Bocca came into the room, greeted me in the most friendly way, and I knew that this was going to be an open, natural, uncomplicated conversation during which I would ask even more questions than the ones I had formulated while preparing for this interview.

One of those rare moments was beginning to take place. One of those moments when one feels so relaxed. The reason? Even though we were meeting for the first time, I could feel an instant connection as if I had known him for a lifetime. Unexplainable, but, yes, one of those rare (at least for me) moments filled with empathy, curiosity, and very rich in its information „richness".

Julio Bocca requires no introduction to balletomanes worldwide. But this interview is about much more than his past career as a dancer.

Even so, many unavoidable references will be made to it (his career) during this interview. It is part of his person and cannot remain “unexpressed”. At the very End of this interview, I will provide a detailed explanation, a sort of addendum, in case you are not well-acquainted with or familiar with the world of dance, or are visiting this site for the first time.

Sometimes it takes me quite some time to create a bond between me and the interviewed person, a bond of confidence and trust to be able to answer questions that are more kinaesthetic and surpass the level of the basic questioning (The „Where-are-you-from-Who-was-your-teacher-kind of thing") to achieve a more personal result for my readers. I won't say that I always succeed in doing that. It'd be wonderful, but it simply is not true.

This time, this „bond" was present in our conversation from the very start of the interview, from our first handshake on. A sort of uncomplicated brotherhood mixed with a comfortable trust. This allowed me to ask questions without having to explain why I was asking them.

A fascinating moment. It made me forget that the person I was going to interview is the same one who had one of the most brilliant careers as a danseur in our generation and who is not only the present Artistic Director of the Colón Theatre in Buenos Aires but also an Icon to my generation.

I mean it.

„Lots have happened since that day in Moscow (When you won the golden medal) when you ran into our lives with all of your youthful energy, like a fury, and landed flat on your backside, remember? You finished your variation with power, dignity, total control, and elegance... „

He smiles broadly and just adds simply, „I had arrived in Moscow from Buenos Aires, exactly as I had arrived in Osaka seven months before to another competition, where I had been to compete... Yes, to compete. I “underline” this word because in the few months I had changed my “attitude” towards ballet: I arrived in Russia to DANCE. Anyway, I had decided to make a last-minute change to my entrance and, obviously, it didn't work out the way I thought it would!"

How I love people who can laugh and make jokes about themselves!

„You have more than broad experience, considering all the companies you have danced with as a guest Artist. Which House/Company has influenced you the most? And I mean this not only stylishly, but ideologically, or to go a bit further, as the Artist who „happens to be" a person."

He does not need to think about it, and the answer is straightforward: „ABT. Twenty years ABT. My home for twenty years. I loved the company, the Freedom we had, all different personalities from different backgrounds and countries, all coming from different schools. Think of my partners. Nina Ananiashvili, Boshoi, and then Alessandra (Ferri), La Scala & The Royal Ballet... and then the genius I had the chance to work with: MacMillan gave me as a present the freedom to be „a bit different" from the usual interpretation of his work. Jerome Robbins did the same. This is what I call a privilege!"

I caught myself thinking of this very good „crop" that the ABT gave us as a gift: Nina Ananiashvilli, the Artistic Director of the National Ballet Ensemble of Georgia since 2004, Alessandra Ferri, the new Artistic Director of the Vienna State Ballet and Julio, the Artistic Director of Teatro Colón, just to name a few.

„I know that you enjoy 'coaching' a lot. In connection with that, which were your favourite roles as a dancer?"

Once more, he needs no time at all to reflect and straightforwardly says: „Basil in 'D.Q.', Des Grieux in 'Manon' and Romeo"

„I see, more the storytelling roles rather than the abstract one, right? Were there roles that you liked the „least"?" I ask.

„To both of your questions: Yes and YES!", he laughs, „After a performance from Balanchine's 'Apollo', I went to Kevin (Kevin McKenzie, Dancer, and ABT's Artistic Director from 1992 to 2022) and asked him, please, to give the part next time to someone else!"

That is what I call honesty.

„When you were still dancing? How did you prepare for a new role?“

„Reading a lot and more than that, listening to every single word that my coach uttered in relation to the role, to the piece. I enjoyed discussing with my partners, for example, with Alessandra, with whom I could communicate, intellectually, on another level, and at ease. I always used and wanted to partly put „Julio Bocca" in the role. How would I feel if this were happening to me? That is a question I would always ask. How would I feel about Treason, Betrayal, Love? What would pass through my mind holding a (presumably dead) Juliet in my arms? How would I react if I were in front of Death? I always tried to find this connection between the role and the character. First to me as an Artist and then as a Person. And I used this on stage."

„Lee Strasberg used this technique, which many called „The Method", at the Actors' Studio. It was/is a perfect, improved version of Stanislavsky's teachings, developed by himself, which is nothing more than a comprehensive system of acting that aims to create authentic and emotionally truthful performances by teaching actors to understand their characters' motivations. You did this instinctively. This is fascinating!

And while we are at that, have you and your interpretation ( I mean, the way the basic character changes) also changed with the passing of time? With, as so to say, "maturity"? You know what I mean... For example, like Baryshnikov's Albrecht, who turned from a starry-eyed, ingenuous lover into an astute playboy with the passing of the years?"

„Funny that you asked that, and that you give the example using Albrecht... The first Albrecht I ever saw was (Vladimir) Vasiliev. I was, of course, a young boy, and even if Vasiliev was not an old man, he was. For me! You know how kids are!", he giggles. „So, I started playing Albrecht as an “elderly” man of 30 years old, I must confess. Later, after I had done more of my “homework”, after I started reading and researching the character even more and more, “my” Albrecht kind of “rejuvenated”.

It is fascinating how your life experience alters not only your understanding of the roles but also your display of them.

It all came very strongly to me when I danced my last performance of a certain role. Furthermore, it was like saying goodbye to an old friend. That is the way I closed the circle. With all the aspects of the character that came from me. My last Romeo, my last Basil, my last Albrecht, and my last Des Grieux“

And while he was saying that, I could feel the difference with which he treated every single role. As different friends whom he came to know so well, so intimately. It's beautiful to think of it.

But all of a sudden, it seemed as if there was a strong flashback in his mind: „I remember my last Albrecht, my farewell performance, quite vividly. I wanted to take something personal with me and for me. As a remembrance of that special moment. At the very end of the Ballet, I did something very personal, something that Julio did „via" Albrecht. After saying good-bye to Giselle, I took off my shoes, laid them on Giselle's grave, and simply walked away. My last Albrecht. "

For a few seconds, I still kept the image, which he had given me, of this moment. Something so real, so plastic (I am referring here to the Fine Arts, in the formative and moulding way), like only a dancer with such sensitivity can do. Also, another meaning of „plasticity" came to mind at that very moment: Impressionable. In the way of referring to a mind or person who is easily influenced or shaped by external forces. And I know that I am like that. But isn't it a privilege to be able to „snoop" into other people's „visions and inventions"?)