Carla Fracci

“It is an honour to be appointed a Goodwill Ambassador of FAO. I will pledge to take the new responsibility very seriously. Now I have become really connected to what is truly important".

Carla Fracci was named FAO Goodwill Ambassador on 15 October 2004.

Considered to be one of the greatest classic dancers of this century, Carla Fracci is surnamed "The Eleonora Duse of the ballet" and "The Legendary". Born in Milan, she studied at the La Scala Ballet School from 1946 with Vera Volkova and others, graduating into the company in 1954. She was soon promoted soloist and principal. At La Scala she performed as Juliet in Cranko's Romeo and Juliet (1958) and Elvira in Massine's Don Giovanni (1959). She appeared with many companies like London Festival Ballet in 1959 and 1962, Royal Ballet in 1963, Stuttgart Ballet in 1965 and Royal Swedish Ballet in 1969. From 1967 she was principal guest artist of the American Ballet Theatre.

She is renowned for her interpretation of the romantic roles. She was director of ballet in Naples 1990-91 and in Verona 1995-97. She is now director of the Balletto dell'Opera di Roma.

In 2005, Carla Fracci appeared on a PSA dedicated to FAO on the Internet network Virgilio, and in spite of her numerous professional engagements she regularly attended the World Food Day celebrations at FAO Headquarters over the years.

She has attended the inaugural ceremony of the High Level Conference on World Food Security:  the Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy, on 3 June 2008, FAO HQs.

Carla Fracci will act as the Patron of the World Food Day concert to be organized in Tirana, Albania, on 25 October 2008, with a double awareness-raising and fundraising component.