Nicoletta Manni: La Scala's Breakthrough Ballerina Talks Ambition, Partnership, and the Role She Still Wants

Nicoletta Manni became La Scala Ballet's first woman to be promoted to étoile in 37 years, a moment that marked not just a personal triumph but a structural shift in one of Europe's most prestigious ballet houses. The Italian ballerina recently sat down in New York to discuss what it took to get there, performing alongside her husband, and the role that still haunts her ambitions. Her story is a masterclass in persistence against institutional resistance.