In 2017, Camilla Mazzi made history by becoming the first Italian female to join the Mariinsky Ballet. Having studied in her native Italy and polished her mastery in Moscow, Camilla quickly won the hearts of the Petersburg public and is now a leading soloist. Delve into her inspiring story below. For the Russian version of this interview, please click here.
What led you to ballet?
I started dancing when I was 9 years old because I had a small curvature in my spine and the doctor said I needed to either swim or take ballet classes. I swam, but to be honest I didn’t like it because it was boring, so I decided to try ballet and I immediately fell in love with the art form.
Slowly I started to take more and more classes, and then a few years later I decided I wanted to become a ballerina. I was born in Turin, in the north of Italy, but there are no large ballet schools there. I studied in a small school and later I was lucky to learn that there was a good pedagogue in the city named Oksana Kichenko. She had studied at the Moscow State Choreographic Academy and worked at the Bolshoi Theatre. Then she moved to Italy where she worked at La Scala and later opened a school in Turin. I worked with her for 4 years and after that she helped me enter the Moscow State Choreographic Academy [Editor’s note: the Bolshoi Theatre’s “school”]. They had a big audition to attend the Academy, I stayed in Moscow for a full month and took class as if I was already enrolled. It was me along with 3 other girls from Oksana’s school, and in the end they accepted two of us. I was 15 years old, but when I started at the school it was September and I was already 16 years old. I studied at the Academy for the next 3 years.
Who was your pedagogue there over those 3 years?
Irina Yurievna Sirova. Her classes were strict, but Oksana also gave hard classes, so I was prepared. We studied really zealously. There was a different atmosphere at the Academy. In Italy, I studied at a lycée from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and after that attended ballet classes. It was what is called a “classical” lycée in Italy, it’s difficult, they teach Greek and Latin, it’s very directed toward Italian culture. It was hard to study and take ballet at the same time. Then Oksana and I would work together for 3 or 4 hours a day. I only studied and took ballet classes, I didn’t have any other typical life.
But at the Academy, most of our time was spent on ballet, and then on academics. We spent more time on dancing. We had classical ballet, duet, historical/character dance, modern, pointe work, technique, and we studied variations and pas de deux.
Was there a sense of competition at the Academy?
The Academy has the practice of placing the best students at the center barre, and it is immediately clear [who is best], and that already creates a certain sense of competition. You compete to determine who will stand near the center – it’s all competition in fact. There was never a time when the teacher said, “This girl is the best”, but you felt it by the corrections that the pedagogue gave.
But Irina Yurievna never provoked competition. Quite the opposite, she gave attention to everyone. Ballet is like any sport, and you can’t avoid it, you see when someone is better than you, and you aspire to be better. To some degree, one could say that it’s healthy competition because if there’s nobody better than you in class, then it’s very difficult to improve and understand to what you aspire. The Academy simply had more girls, so the competition was greater than in Italy. We had 15 to 20 girls in our class.
Did you study the Russian language only in Moscow?
Prior to moving, I took classes and tried to learn the alphabet and learn simple phrases like “I’m Camilla, I come from Turin.” At the Moscow Choreographic School, where everything is structured slightly differently than at the Vaganova Academy. For each course (Editor’s note: the last 3 years of study are called “courses”), you have three groups of students: two Russian groups and one group of foreigners. But I was lucky because I studied in a group with Russian students. I studied the history of ballet, history of theatre, and the history of Russia alongside the Russians, and I had to learn the language quickly. I had a lot of Russian language lessons and good teachers. When you interact only with Russians, it’s easier to study it. The first year in the general academic subjects I memorized everything, because I didn’t understand much at all, everything was very difficult.
That’s a wise approach, but funny…
(Camilla laughs) Yes. What are you going to do? Because if you don’t pass the general academic exams, they kick you out. Of course, they helped the foreign students, they understood that it was hard for us. But you had to pass all the exams — academic as well.
Did you live in the dormitories?
Yes, I liked it, I had a large circle of friends, both Russians and other foreigners. I have only warm memories of the dorms, it was always fun and I never felt alone.
How often did you see your parents?
We had summer and Christmas vacation, but my parents came twice more each year, on my birthday and in the fall. I’m lucky in that regard, as some children only saw their parents once a year.
Marina Leonova, the rector at that time, told me I would participate. I understood that it was a great opportunity and honor. My partner was Mark Chino (Editor’s note: now a soloist at the Bolshoi), we danced the pas de deux from the third act of “Sleeping Beauty”.
And did you know that you were accepted here at the Mariinsky before then?No, I was on the list of those who’d been invited to join the Bolshoi. But after the competition, Yuri Valerievich Fateev invited me to join the Mariinsky Theatre where my future fate was decided. I came here just for one day, took morning class and met Margarita Geraldovna Kullik, my future pedagogue in the theatre. On that day I managed to watch the evening performance of “The Fountain of Bakchisarei”, a ballet which I fell in love with!
What was the atmosphere like during that first year in the theatre?
It was difficult for me because when I arrived I felt I wasn’t prepared at all technically for work in the theatre. First of all there’s a difference between the Bolshoi Theatre Academy and the Vaganova Academy in terms of the arm positions. I felt I had to partially change my technique in order to become part of this theatre. For me that required quite a bit of time to be honest. Margarita Geraldovna [Kullik] helped me a lot with this, we worked together a lot. In this way that first year was very difficult. But the girls in the company accepted me warmly into the troupe, we have a really friendly working atmosphere.
Is there a sensation of competition within the company?
The theatre has a different type of competition which seems to me more healthy. It’s not even competition, but more a comparison of yourself with other dancers thanks to which we can grow. It’s all internal, not external.
What’s the best part of your job?
Performing of course. Although I really enjoy the rehearsal process. Performing is a magical moment, because you enter a specific atmosphere on stage and it’s as if time stops. For me the stage is a place where you are fully in the moment and can reveal parts of yourself that you may not be able to show in real life. We’re lucky in that way with ballet, because we can express emotions and our internal world on stage. So performing is probably the best part but rehearsal time is also interesting because without it we couldn’t perform, and it’s during the rehearsal process itself that we can work on ourselves, understand a role, and get used to a specific character.
About rehearsals. Margarita Kullik, your pedagogue, is well-known as one of Vaganova’s successors and she’s very popular in the company now. What is working with her like, what is her approach?
Margarita Geraldovna and I suit each other well in terms of our personalities, we’re both very open people. This helps us during rehearsals to find a shared language and understand each other. In addition, what I love most about our joint work is her vision of a role and the character that we embody on stage. For her what’s most important is the emotions and the character that we bring on stage. I enjoy this because, with her, ballet is a true art form, not just a selection of movements or gymnastics. For her, each gesture must be filled with some sort of meaning. If you’re doing a high arabesque, it has to have a purpose and you have to demonstrate what you want to say with it. In today’s world it is important to preserve all of these nuances. In Russia in particular, this is highly valued.
You debuted as Juliet this past season (in July 2025). Do you feel you have a specific emploi?
I think I have a specific emploi, there are some roles that suit me better than others. The Mariinsky Theatre is one of few theatres in the world where the concept of emploi still exists.
What is the hardest part of your job?
Coping with injuries. Ballet is partially a sport, and it can be very tough physically. It can be hard at times to understand why an injury happened, how to recover from it, and what to do so that it doesn’t recur. That’s also a journey…and the most unpleasant part of our profession.
You’ve already danced many roles, but is there one you dream of?
I would like to dance “Swan Lake”, “Giselle”, and Shirin in “The Legend of Love” — I absolutely love Melnikov’s music and the aesthetic of Grigorovich’s masterpiece.
Do you have a ritual prior to going on stage?
I’m not superstitious, but the one thing I always do is say a prayer. I do it a few minutes before going on stage and I ask God to be with me during the performance, for me that’s very important.
When you’re onstage, do you ever feel you’re part of something greater than just your profession in the theatre?
There are performances when everything is such that it seems you aren’t doing it yourself but there’s a higher power that helps you. Maybe for some dancers, it is through art they can get closer to the spiritual. Because when you’re on stage, in any case, there is a part of us that leaves. And when we’re in a specific state, we can draw nearer to something greater and better than ourselves.
From where do you draw strength when you’re tired or you aren’t in the mood to work? What’s your source of inspiration?
Of course everything changes over time, but for me it’s important to find a moment when I can be alone, not doing anything but find the condition where I need to be in order to go on stage. Because going out onstage empty is very difficult. I often think about why I dance and for whom.
And for whom do you dance?
For me, ballet is the opportunity to give something positive to the viewer. Ballet, and classical art in general, gives people the possibility of experiencing subtle emotions and drawing nearer to the beauty in life. People can fill up their souls in the theatre. This motivates and inspires me, it is our small contribution to the world.
Do you miss Italy?
Of course I miss it, your homeland remains always in your heart. I miss the nature there, the cities, the people, but most of all I miss my family. But my parents have been to Petersburg many times, they also really love this city, just as I do.
Isn’t the weather here a challenge for you?
Yes, the hardest thing is the absence of daylight [in the winter]. The cold is scary …and I really love the snow! Petersburg is a damp city. I remember, the first year I arrived I constantly had angina, and finally they removed my tonsils because they were constantly inflamed. It seems to me it’s harder for someone who wasn’t born here, than for those who were.
Italy is famous for its food. I think the contrast with Russian food is considerable. Do you have a favorite dish and do you miss Italian food? Do you follow a diet?
My favorite food is probably my mother’s risotto. I actually cook quite often and usually Italian food, you can find almost all the products you need here! I don’t follow any sort of diet. I’m lucky in that way, I never followed a diet, I try to be sure I eat a little bit of everything: meat, fish, carbohydrates, vegetables and fruits. I’m used to eating that way from my childhood.
Do you do any kind of cross training?
Now I do gymnastic exercises with a trainer, Yury Borisovich Semenov. We do partner gymnastics (in pairs) as a warm-up, then stand up and work on specific muscle groups. We do squats and jumps, and lots of movements that don’t resemble ballet. I also sometimes do Pilates. Over the years I’ve tried lots of different things to support my body, but for me this is optimal. But a lot depends on the point of your development in your body and your career, because the body constantly changes and you have to adapt.
If you didn’t dance, what would you do?
I would probably be a doctor because my mother is a doctor. And I feel that I’d follow in her footsteps. Even now I find everything associated with health and the body really interesting. It’s an interesting profession. I also am interested in physical therapy and the psychology of our profession and in sports.
Do you think ballet demands a specific body type?
For ballet you have to have specific traits, but there are dancers who in fact don’t have incredible bodies and were still able to become stars due to intelligence and hard work. I believe in work, and I think that much in our profession depends on the dancer’s mind and quality of work.
What qualities does a dancer need to have?
I think they need to be smart and capable of working a lot: being lazy in this profession won’t work. You have to be sensitive, and have a rich internal world and be inquisitive. You also need to be persistent, because you need to progress even when it seems to you that everything is bad — just like in sports. You have to go take class even when you don’t feel well, or don’t want to, and everything hurts. You have to have a strong character to be able to do this.
Do you think it’s harder for people who are more shy?
There are shy dancers who are not shy on stage. I think it’s very subjective and depends on the individual. You can have a rich internal world but not be able to channel it into your body.
Do you believe in Fate?
I believe that each person has their place in this world. And it’s important for each individual to do what they love, but I don’t think that life is preordained or that we cannot decide where to go and to what we should aspire. I think God gave us certain talents that we can discover and we need to learn to do that.
What are your dreams for the future?
For now it’s important for me to continue to improve in my career and profession, to perform new roles and grow as an individual, to become more adult in everything.
Do you have any advice for young people who want to dance professionally and become ballerinas or premiere danseurs?
Yes. I would advise them to support their bodies from a very young age, in addition to just ballet classes you have to do gymnastics, stretching, and work out, it’s very important because it creates a basis upon which it’s much easier to become a professional. When I was little I didn’t understand this, I only understood it when I was already in the Academy and saw how all the other girls were working and what they did in addition to ballet classes. I think that children also need to study the history of ballet, theatre and music in order to better understand the world of art. In our profession it’s important to have the right mindset, not to give up, to always keep your eyes focused on your goal and continuously work towards it. It’s a difficult profession, there will be setbacks and difficult times, but the most important thing is to keep moving forward. As banal as it may sound, you have to believe in yourself find what you’re doing. That’s not just for ballet but for any profession.
All photos copyright by the Mariinsky Theatre and courtesy thereof. Photo credits from top: Camilla Mazzi in the “Fountain of Bakchisarei” by Mikhail Vilchuck 2025; Mazzi in “Spectre de la Rose” by Natasha Razina 2025; Mazzi [holding the harp] in the “Fountain of Bakchisarei” by Mikhail Vilchuck 2025; Mazzi as Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet” by Natasha Razina 2025; Mazzi in the Pas de Trois from Act I of “Swan Lake” by Mikhail Vilchuk 2025; and Mazzi in “La Sylphide” with Kian Maghnis, by Natasha Razina 2023.