Julio Bocca. Image © Claudio Esses
Born in March 1967 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He began his studies at the age of four under the tutelage of his mother Nancy Bocca. He was accepted in 1974 as a member of The Institute Superior of Art at the Teatro Colón where his teachers included Gloria Kazda, José Parés and Ninel Julttyeva. He further improved his technique with Maggy Black, Lidia Segni and Wilhelm Burmann.
At present he is the Artistic Director of Uruguayan National Ballet del Sodre.
His professional career began in 1982 as a Principal Dancer with the Fundación Teresa Carrreño in Venezuela and The Teatro Municipal of Río de Janeiro in Brazil. In 1985, he won the Gold Medal at the Fifth International Ballet Competition in Moscow. He joined The American Ballet Theatre as Principal Dancer in 1986 and performed with them throughout 2006.
He was Guest Artist with Royal Ballet of London, Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow, Kirov Ballet in St. Petersburg, Alla Scala de Milan, La Zarzuela of Madrid, Royal Danish Ballet of Denmark, Opera Ballet in Oslo, Stuttgart Ballet, Opera Ballet in Paris, Tokyo Ballet, Ballet Nacional de Cuba, Ballet Teatro Municipal de Santiago de Chile, Ballet Nacional de Mexico, English National Ballet London, Ballet del Teatro Municipal General San Martín and Ballet del Teatro Colón, in Buenos Aires where special works were created for him. He danced with some of the most important partners such as Nina Ananiashvili, Eleonora Cassano, Alessandra Ferri, Cecilia Figaredo, Carla Fracci, Cynthia Gregory, Cynthia Harvey, Paloma Herrera, Susan Jaffe, Julie Kent, Natalia Makarova, Amanda McKerrow, Noelle Pontois, Raquel Rossetti and Cheryl Yeager.
In 1990, the Teatro Colón of Buenos Aires appoints him International Representative. The same year he founds his own company “Ballet Argentino” and toured throughout the world. Prima Ballerina Eleonora Cassano joined them in some of the tours.
He inaugurated his own Dance studio and took over Ballet Argentino direction in 1997. The following year he found Musical Theater School with choreographer and Director Ricky Pashkus.
His dancing was the show that represented Argentina during the celebrations for Millennium Day that took place on December 31st, 1999 and January 1st, 2000, marking the beginning of the new millennium in Ushuaia. The celebration was broadcasted simultaneously all over the world through over 60 networks.
After 20 years as Principal Dancer with the American Ballet Theatre, Julio Bocca danced his farewell performance on June 22, 2006 playing “Des Grieux” in MacMillan´s “Manon” with Alessandra Ferri
His prizes and nominations include among others: “Dancer of the Year” New York Times (1987); “Gino Tani Awards to the Arts”; Personality of the Year (1990) granted in France together with other celebrities such as Mother Teresa of Calcutta; Barocco sponsored by RAI; Dance Magazine (1992); Benois de la Danse (Bolshoi Theatre 1992); King Davis Award from the Argentine House of Jerusalem (1996), Hispanic American Max Award for the Performing Arts (2007) granted by SGAE in Bilbao, Spain; Homage for his career and collaboration to ballet world in “Equinoccio Cultural 2008” at the Embassy of Spain in Buenos Aires; Gold Medal on the Arts by Kennedy Center International Committee on the Arts for his achievements and dedication to cultural exchange between Argentina and the United States of America (2008); Homage by American Ballet Theatre during Latin Night (2008).
He danced his farewell on December 22, 2007 in front of 300,000 fans in Buenos Aires. In 2008 Julio Bocca was engaged to participate in the “Earth Day Special” carried out by National Geographic.
Julio Bocca is the Cultural Ambassador for the Mercosur and Member of the International Dance Council, CID Paris – Unesco- and participated in the Jury at the Benois de la Danse Prize 2008 Edition and Rome Prize in Italy.
A bit of fun from summer 2009 in Prague:
