About
World-renowned ballet dancer known for being the lead ballerina for the La Scala Theatre Ballet in Milan, Italy. She also performed with the Royal Ballet in London, the Royal Swedish Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre.
Before Fame
She first began studying ballet in 1946. Her body type was deemed unfit for ballet, and she didn't enjoy it until she was cast in The Sleeping Beauty. After winning that role, she started taking dance seriously and devoted herself to it.
Trivia
On October 16, 2004, she became a Goodwill Ambassador of the Food and Agriculture Organization, a branch of the United Nations whose aim is to combat international hunger. In 2013, she published an autobiography called Step By Step.
Family Life
She married film director Beppe Menegatti in 1964. The couple had a son named Francesco.
Associated With
Her dance partners included Erik Bruhn and Mikhail Baryshnikov.
