Alessandro
Riga

Benois de la Danse nominee

Born in 1986 in Crotone, Italy.At the age of 6began to study ballet in his town, then moved to the School of Teatrodell’opera di Roma directed by Paola Jorio.At the age of 15 he was choose by GheorgeIancu for the role of Tadzio in Benjamin Britten’s Death in Venice directed by P. Pizzi for Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florenz.

In 2002, CarlaFracci gave him the role of Ophelia in Amleto, Principe del Sogno (choreograph Luc Bouy), Romeo in the Project “Shakespeare in Danza“ (Luc Bouy) and the King of France in „Maria Stuarda” (Wayne Eagling).

In 2003 he was prize-winning of some of the most prestigious Italian ballet awards: Danza&Danza, Positano, Adriana Panni for best Italian promising new talent.

In 2004 he joined the Semperoper Dresden Ballet company under Vladimir Derevianko directionwhere he dance as Principal and Soloist in the most ofpopular classical ballets and contemporary choreography (Jiří Kylián, John Neumeier, Uwe Scholz).

In 2006 is Principal guest for Orfeo ed Euridice (Luciano Cannito,Palermo), Coppelia (Evgheni Polyakov, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino), Cinderella (M. G. Garofoli, Arena di Verona), Blue bird in Sleeping Beauty (Derek Deane, Zagreb, Croatia), Pulcinella in Pulcinella and Arlecchino (Lucio Dalla and Luciano Cannito, Bologna), was shown at Wexford Opera Festival. In 2007 he was James in August Bournonville’s La Sylphide, Puck in Midsummer Night's Dream by Francesco Ventriglia.

From 2007 to 2010 he was Principal Guest at Maggiodanza in Florenz under Vladimir Derevian kodirection where he danced from classical repertoire Giselle and Nutcracker (both Eugeni Polyakof), Petruska by Fokine, Don Quixote (Derevianko), Paganini (VladimirVasiliev); andmodern: B. B. B. (M. Morricone), Sleeping Beauty (G. Montero), Vespri Siciliani (L. Cannito).

From 2006 to 2011 he also gust as principal dancer around Italy: Teatro dell' Opera di Roma (Arlesienne by R. Petit, Romeo and Juliet by Carla Fracci, Gaite de Parisienne by M. Bejart, La Sonnambula)Arena di Verona (Cinderella by M. Garofoli), Teatro Massimo di Palermo (Mercuzio in Romeo and Juliet).

He invited to dance in Milan for benefit gala A step for Africa by Emergency and in Torino for cancerresearch. Also he took part in New Year concert, Carmen that aired on tv in Eurovision and he also danced inParis for Milan’s presentation of EXPO 2015.

Under Francesco Ventriglia's direction (2010/2013) he was promoted to étoile.
In his modern repertoire choreography by William Forsythe, JiříKylián, George Balanchine, Francesco Ventriglia, Ohad Naharin, Jose Carlos Martinez.