Julio Bocca Says Farewell
hursday night, June 22, 2006, was a momentous occasion at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. After a twenty year reign as one of ballet's megastars, Julio Bocca took his final bow. As John Rockwell, Chief Dance Critic of The New York Times said in referring to his recent performance in "Giselle", "He is wise to retire when he is still on top, but on top he most definitely is. Mr. Bocca's dancing was first rate; his acting was just as good, and when he could combine the two, he touched greatness."
All 3,995 seats had been sold out for weeks in advance. Everyone from Liza Minelli to the physicians who keep the company members healthy to dancers, teachers, and balletomanes were in the audience. As the curtain fell, the adoring spectators rose to their feet applauding enthusiastically and screaming bravo!! After numerous curtain calls, members of ABT's staff, current principal dancers, retired dancers (among them were Cynthia Gregory, Susan Jaffe and Kathleen Moore) presented him with bouquets as adoring audience members hurled their own floral tributes from the orchestra as well as the side balconies. Two principal dancers, Marcelo Gomez and David Hallberg, surprised him by suddenly lifting him into the air and placing him on their shoulders. The entire company joined him onstage as sparkling confetti floated down from the rafters, cameras flashed, and cell phones were held aloft to record this dramatic display of love, respect and affection. Looking around the theatre, I saw people jumping up and down and waving their arms with enormous smiles on their faces. In fact, everyone was smiling. This was a fitting tribute for a dancer who will go down in history as not only an amazing talent and technician, but one of the greatest dramatic dancers of all time.
Julio couldn't have chosen a more dramatic ballet for his final performance or a more perfect partner than Alessandra Ferri. Kenneth MacMillan's "Manon" was the ideal vehicle to show off his amazing technique and profound acting ability. We can always count on the two of them to deliver a good performance, but there is something beyond good technique that happens when they are paired. The word "magic" even falls short when describing their partnership. Not many people could bring to life MacMillan's passionate choreography like these two dancers. Ms Ferri is in a class by herself when it comes to beauty of line, sensitivity, expression and lyricism. As the character, Des Grieux, Julio made the audience swoon with his manly display of passion and love for Manon [Ms. Ferri]. When the audience finally had to leave the theatre (they wouldn't have left if he had not), there was a sense of elation from being able to witness an extraordinary event, but also there was sadness in knowing we will never again see these two dancers take ordinary steps to the highest level of artistry.
Julio Bocca was born in 1967. His professional career began in 1982 when he accepted a contract as Principal Dancer with the Fundacion Teresa Carreno de Venezuela and the Teatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. In 1985 Julio won the gold medal at the International Ballet Competition in Moscow representing his native country, Argentina. The next year he was hired by Mikhail Baryshnikov as a Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre.
ABT has not been his only home. He has also performed as a guest artist with the major ballet companies around the world. He even took time off from ballet in 2000 to dance on Broadway in the show "Fosse." At that time he formed a great friendship with Ann Reinking, who was one of the Vice Chairs for the Julio Bocca Farewell Celebration. He has even danced in the Argentinean film "Tango." What's unusual for a ballet dancer is that he is as popular and well known as a rock star in Argentina.
Julio has been quoted in all the newspapers as saying he wanted to quit when he was on top. He also has made it clear that he is very ready to have a "real life." After all the years of walking by the cafés and seeing people eating, drinking and having fun, he will now be able to join in instead of having to go home to get a good night's rest. The discipline involved in being a ballet dancer from a very young age has prevented him from doing much more than taking class, rehearsing, performing and retiring early. There's always class the next day. He also says that he is simply tired. Now he talks about being able to have that Argentinean beer that he is fond of. In fact, near the end of his final curtain call, he motioned to someone in the wings who promptly appeared with that ice-cold beer. When Julio took a good long drink, the audience cheered!
While this is his retirement from ABT, his plans are to continue dancing with his own company, Ballet Argentino, until the end of 2007. He also would like to return to ABT to coach younger dancers in the company as well as develop an integrated educational and performing arts school in his native Argentina.
Many days prior to this farewell performance, Julio and Alessandra could be found taking Willie Burmann's 10:30 class at Steps on Broadway. Willie has been Julio's coach since he first joined ABT. Alessandra was introduced to Willy because she was working with Julio. She praises Willy saying, "I have been working with him for almost seventeen years, and I truly believe he is the greatest teacher around." She says that he makes you express through your technique so that it becomes your vocabulary with which you are able to become a character. She continues, "It's not only about the steps, but how you do the steps with the music. He makes every walk mean something; it's not just walking on.......he looks after every detail, and knowing the details makes you free. I have worked with him for many years, so I understand the look. I know exactly what I need the minute I look in his face."
It is obvious that Julio and Alessandra respect and depend upon their coach; he also has glowing words for them. "They always bring something different to each performance. It's not like a predictable couple that does the same thing every night. They could settle for comfort, but they don't. They take risks right and left, and Julio never really knows what Alex will do until she does it. Those are the exciting moments. She becomes inspired and interprets the music through her body. He takes her musicality totally when they dance together. A lot of men cannot do this. They can only do double pirouette, go into arabesque and promenade. In Kenneth MacMillan's choreography a lot of the movement is off balance. You have to be sensitive towards another body. When Alex does something, he is there. You don't even see the hands. They are there, but it is never clumsy. He's supporting her, but it's beautiful. It's supposed to be an art form, not executed steps."
Willie praises Julio's sense of artistry. He says that when dancers are young, they can flaunt their technique, but when they are older, they should begin to explore the art. He said that he learned from working with Julio that each time the curtain opens, you must greet the people and present yourself anew. You should not keep doing the same old stuff you did yesterday or a year before. He says that when Julio comes onstage, he doesn't wait for the audience to acknowledge him. He addresses the audience. His presence is so powerful that he can reach the top of the Met. Willy says that is genius. He also says a lot of dancers can't even project across the orchestra.
"Most of it with Julio is natural......and with Alex, too," says Willy. "They are two people that you can toss onstage and they will do something. They are comfortable onstage. Some people are self-conscious if they don't have a step. Julio and Alex don't have that problem. They emotionally strip themselves naked when they go out there. What is wonderful is that they have the sensuality and sexuality that appeal to men and women. Seeing a couple that gels like that is the ultimate! It's the ultimate! A lot of times dancers dance beautifully, but they have absolutely nothing else. A pretty picture doesn't do."
Willie says that dancers have to let their hair down, but he knows for some people it is not easy. In class he always says, "fall.............learn how to pick yourself up, but don't play it safe all the time." He says you have to take a risk to find out if you can do it. How else are you going to find out?
When asked if Julio had a different kind of focus in rehearsals leading up to his retirement, Willie responded by saying the focus was the same, but he now was totally relaxed. He seemed to be enjoying dancing more than ever. Somehow the entire burden is gone. "For someone of his caliber to finish on top, it must have taken a lot of thought. I think one has to respect him even more for that."
Speaking of his role as a coach, Willie says that some dancers don't think they need one. Dancers may think they know how they look, but they really don't know how they look to other people. They may think they can do it alone, but they are only fooling themselves. Julio recognized it very early and has depended upon him throughout his career. To be a coach you have to almost be a father figure. You also have to keep a high degree of respect without being too restrictive. It's quite a delicate balance. He describes a relationship that works as having the right chemistry.
Even with his elevated status, Willie says that Julio is a very humble and nice person. The week before the retirement performance Willy describes his sadness. "What breaks my heart is knowing I will never see him again in the roles that I enjoyed and that made my life richer......and made me believe in my teaching. But he will go on; he will do something else, and my life will go on, but it's not going to be the same."
Janice Barringer is a ballet teacher and is the author of The Pointe Book and On Pointe both published by Princeton Book Company.
Special thanks to Rosalie O'Connor, Willie Burmann, Julio Bocca, Alessandra Ferri, Steps on Broadway and Kelly Ryan of ABT.