Altavia Crew
OVS presents Altavia Crew, the editorial project in partnership with Athleta Lab. Discipline, talent and dedication told by those who challenge their limits every day, through sport and adventure.
Interview with Virna Toppi
Raised between the hard work of the studio and the magic of the stage, Virna Toppi has transformed discipline into a universal language. Global Étoile and icon of avant-garde dance, she embodies a rare balance between athletic power and absolute grace. Alongside her international success, she has always pursued an unceasing quest for perfection, telling through her body the dedication and wonder of performance.
What were the first sensations, emotions, and impressions that made you fall in love with dance as a child?
“After years, I finally understood exactly why, as a child, I chose dance: I needed to express my emotions. I have always deeply loved music, and in dance I found the perfect key to interpret it and convey what it made me feel. I tried other paths related to music, such as playing an instrument or singing, but nothing gave me what dance did. It was love at first sight. What was different compared to many other little girls is that it wasn’t my parents who steered me toward dance: I was the one who insisted. For them, it wasn’t a sport in the traditional sense; I tried skiing, swimming, and many other disciplines... they wanted me to practice something more ‘classic’ or something outdoors. At first, they saw dance as a whim, not as a deep will. I insisted for a long time, with determination. In the end, they took me to class. From that moment on, I fell in love definitively, and dance has always stayed with me.”
"The most important thing for us dancers is knowing how to listen to our own bodies. Harmony is born from listening to and respecting oneself."
How did it feel to discover and develop yourself as an artist? And what was it like, at the same time, to experience the process of discovering your body and movement in relation to your art?
"I definitely feel like both an athlete and an artist at the same time: I am a hybrid figure, let's say. Dance is art, but it requires rigorous athletic preparation: you have to be strong, ready. The artist I am today was formed over time. At the beginning, in academy, they teach you technique: the position at the barre, the feet, the alignment of the body, the precision of details. They give you endless notions. Then, when you really start dancing and interpreting your first roles, you begin to form yourself as an artist. My being an artist matured together with my being a person. Over time, I realized how much growing as an artist went hand in hand with growing as a person — not in the sense of simply 'improving', but of transforming. There were periods when I tried to conform to an external idea of the perfect dancer, without showing fragility or personal characteristics. On stage I wanted to be only the character, without leaving space for myself; I followed what was, in a sense, imposed on me. And I was the first one to impose it on myself. With maturity and experience I overcame that kind of barrier. I started to enjoy being an artist more, putting myself on the line personally. The story remained that of the character, but the nuances were mine. It was Virna interpreting that role. I gave myself the possibility of living new, other stories, and of letting them meet with my own. This allowed me to be truly enriched by every character lived on stage. It gave me the possibility of experiencing different emotions and of expanding my artistic and personal baggage."
Does dance take on the characteristics of a language of its own in your eyes? If so, how do gesture and music become words, stories, narration?
“Dance is a language in every sense. There is a true vocabulary: there are codified gestures with precise meanings. Certain movements of the hands or arms, for example, indicate concepts such as death or speaking. It is a dictionary unto itself. In repertoire ballets this language is very evident. In other more narrative and realistic works, such as Romeo and Juliet or La Dame aux camélias, gestures become more natural: a kiss is a real kiss, a slap is a real slap, just as in life. Dance, in these cases, is an extremely direct language. One must be open to listening and observing details. For me, dance has always also been a way to rebalance what I felt inside, and to express what words sometimes could not say.”
Principal dancer at La Scala. How does one reach a role, and a status, of this kind? What does it take, then, to consolidate it over time? Above all, how does it feel to inherit the legacy of those who came before you, and to set the pace for those who will follow?
"It is a great honor, but above all, a great responsibility. It means carrying forward a message and a legacy built by those who came before me. For me, it is important to convey discipline, consistency, and determination. I was a child with a dream and, through commitment and sacrifice, I managed to make it come true.
I would like to be a messenger of this idea: that a great dream can become reality if you dedicate yourself with seriousness and passion... where there's a will, there's a way. Then, obviously, luck also plays a part: the stars must inevitably align. For this reason, I want to convey to the new generations that the goal shouldn’t be so much to become a prima ballerina, but rather to give oneself the chance to interpret many roles and live many artistic lives."
Your profession also connects the personal sphere with the collective one, represented by the corps de ballet. What are the factors that determine a perfect ecosystem on stage? And what kind of relationship do you try to create with those who accompany your performances?
“A ballet cannot be done without the corps de ballet. Even the best individual performance cannot shine if there isn't a solid, cohesive group around it, working with the same intensity. The final result is a combination of energies, synergies, and shared commitment. We spend most of the day together: a second family is created. We are together all day, every day, in close contact, literally body to body, and this generates a particular confidence and sensitivity that I don't think can be found in other professions. You perceive everything, even the slightest change in mood. It’s a double-edged dynamic: on one hand, it’s beautiful; on the other, you also absorb negative energies. For this reason, it is fundamental to maintain balance, to be open and empathetic: first and foremost, to help and be helped by those around you, and secondly, of course, for the success of the show and everyone's work.”
“I was a child with a dream and, through commitment and sacrifice, I managed to make it come true. I would like to be a messenger of this message: that a great dream can become reality if you dedicate yourself with seriousness and passion... where there's a will, there's a way.”
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"The most important thing for us dancers is knowing how to listen to our own bodies. Harmony is born from listening to and respecting oneself." What does listening to your body mean to you? And what, at the same time, does the concept of harmony signify?
"For years, I fought against my body and my harmony, until I understood how everything was connected and fundamental. I kept going without stopping, even in the face of pain, convinced that a dancer should not show weakness... that a dancer could not, quite simply, even just cry. I didn't listen to the signals. Over time, I realized how important it was to do so.
By accepting myself more, with my limits and my frailties, I began to find true balance. A balance that doesn't mean settling, but giving your best while respecting who you are. Listening to my body means recognizing my limits, knowing when to stop, accepting the bad days, the exhaustion, the frustration... being human. Since I started truly listening to myself, I also started feeling better, seeing myself and everything else more clearly. Harmony is this deep balance between mind, body, and the person, and it is something wonderful to achieve. I wish it for everyone."
Has a moment as important and precious as motherhood, which you defined as ‘magical’, further evolved the way you listen to your body and the meaning of the word harmony?
"Everything has changed since I had my daughter. Firstly, in the rhythms and the practicalities of daily life. Then, after childbirth, the body is inevitably different, transformed, but you are also aware that it is the vessel that gave you the most beautiful thing in your life. Now I feel more receptive, more attentive to what is happening inside me.
Motherhood changes your priorities, your perception of time, your tastes, the organization of life... it makes you more self-aware. Even now, two years later, my body sometimes appears different to me, almost difficult to recognize... but I have come to realize that life is constantly changing, and it is up to you to adapt to the circumstances that arise. Harmony becomes a continuous search, an opening towards a new version of oneself, towards your own constant."
You said that you want to be an example for your daughter. What kind of example do you want to be for her?
“I would like to convey the idea that a woman can do anything. She doesn't have to give up work to be a mother, nor motherhood to pursue a dream. I would like to teach her to work hard, to follow her goals with determination, to aim high. But also to listen to her dreams with the right awareness of her limits, without experiencing them as a burden, but rather as a strength.
Showing one's fragility does not mean being less strong. I can be a prima ballerina even while showing my weaknesses. The truth—one's own truth—always pays off. It shouldn't be a truth that pleases others, or one that is subservient to society, but the one you feel is authentic and yours. Great results can be achieved with that, too.”
Previously
Episode 4: Virna Toppi
Global Étoile and icon of avant-garde dance, she embodies the perfect balance between performance and elegance.
