We sat down with Martina Perfetto, performer at Varna International Ballet which comes to the UK in the new year, visiting 20 venues from 2 January – 5 March 2025, with beloved classics Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and Romeo and Juliet. Martina will perform Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Marie (Clara) in The Nutcracker and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet
Where did you train as a dancer?
I started my ballet classes at the age of five and when at thirteen years old I was admitted to the well-known Italian Academy Teatro di San Carlo I had no doubt of the career I wanted to follow. The profession is physically and emotionally demanding but the joy and happiness of performing on stage is a great reward of your efforts.
Have you visited the UK before? What do you enjoy most about touring here?
I have toured with the Varna Ballet in the UK in the last two seasons. The ballet tour across the United Kingdom is a test for my professionalism. This may sound pompous, but I feel responsibility as an Italian dancer and a dancer representing Varna, the city of the first ever international ballet competition. When I come on stage, I feel the audience’s compassionate mood, which helps interpreting the role. The best performance is when the dancers and the audience breathe in unison.
How do you keep fit and healthy on tour?
Ballet dancers are used to limitations. As all Italians, I like pasta. After all those limitations in food, after a successful performance I indulge and have something I wouldn’t allow myself in days. Each dancer has her own revitalising elixir which gives you strength and suppresses appetite. Alongside fruits, my diet on tour is oat flakes which combine with everything and avoid monotony.
How do you relax when you’re not working?
I love bakeries. Even when I can’t have it before the show, I eat it with my eyes from the bakery’s window. You can imagine how much temptation I have got in Britain! Also, my favourite Italian tunes and melodies is a magic remedy. I choose music for my state of mind at the time, and it is a great relaxation.
Apart from ballet, what is your favourite dance style?
I love and learn Latin American dance, where, like ballet, you can splash out your emotions. The union of the dancing couple is always very sensual.