Gisella Caccialanza was an American prima ballerina and teacher who danced in theater, opera and film productions.
18 Facts About Gisella Caccialanza
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Gisella Caccialanza studied ballet under Italian teacher Giovanni Rosi, and then with ballet dancer Enrico Cecchetti at La Scala in Milan, Italy.
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Gisella Caccialanza was born to Italian American parents in San Diego on September 17,1914.
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Gisella Caccialanza studied ballet under the tutelage of Italian teacher Giovanni Rosi, who recommended that she venture to Milan, Italy and continue her studies there.
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In 1925, Gisella Caccialanza was taken to La Scala to receive advanced training in ballet.
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Gisella Caccialanza earned the awareness of ballet dancer Enrico Cecchetti, and he spent his final years improving her ability; he made her his goddaughter at her confirmation ceremony, after he was granted permission for it by the Pope.
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Gisella Caccialanza was encouraged by Cecchetti to follow his routines, rather than certain American teachers whom he considered incompetent.
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Gisella Caccialanza worked with Viennese choreographer in ballet, musicals and vaudeville Albertina Rasch, on a three-year contract.
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Gisella Caccialanza toured the United States in Rasch's dance troupes.
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Gisella Caccialanza performed five times a day at Radio City Music Hall, and ballet dancer Serge Lifar persuaded her to audition for a new school run by George Balanchine.
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Gisella Caccialanza immediately earned a scholarship to the School of American Ballet, and impressed the faculty with the training she had received from Cecchetti.
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Gisella Caccialanza became a charter member of the company in 1934, and performed in the major cities of the United States.
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Gisella Caccialanza performed under Balanchine in the ballets Serenade in 1934, Le baiser de la fee in 1937, the second ballerina in the premiere of Ballet Imperial in 1941 under the employ of the New Opera Company, the lead dancer in the full-length American premiere of The Nutcracker with the San Francisco Ballet at the San Francisco Opera House in 1944, and The Four Temperaments in 1946.
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Gisella Caccialanza danced in the musical films The Goldwyn Follies in 1938, and On Your Toes the following year with choreography undertaken by Balanchine.
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In 1941, the American Ballet and Ballet Caravan had worked together in a tour of Latin America, and Gisella Caccialanza danced a pas de deux at the New York headquarters of the United Service Organizations, and spoke at a rally to encourage scrap metal collecting.
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Gisella Caccialanza later joined the Ballet Society, and danced with the San Francisco Ballet until the birth of her son in 1953.
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Gisella Caccialanza was married to American choreographer Lew Christensen from 1941 until his death from cancer in 1984, and they had a son, Chris, who went on to be a conductor.
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Gisella Caccialanza died at Seton Medical Center, Daly City on July 16,1998, after a series of strokes.