Learning by Trying – A Dancer’s Route to Choreography

Interview with Valentino Zucchetti, Royal Ballet London

How did you start your choreographic career? How do you learn to choreograph a dance? What skills do you need? Where do you seek inspiration before you start working on a piece of choreography?

Valentino Zucchetti is not just a First Soloist in Royal Ballet London, he is also a choreographer. He recently won best Cinematography as well as the second place prize for Choreography in THE SUN IS GOD at the Utah Dance Festival in 2019.

Watch the interview below to learn more his experience in choreographing.

At Worldballetday 2018 Valentino presented a rehearsal of his work for the Royal Ballet Draft’s Works. Watch him working.

Short films

Top image Film „In Her Hands“ (2019) – Ballet Shorts/Pennefather Films, Choreography by Valentino Zucchetti. Inspiried by the life and work of Camille Claudel and Auguste Rodin.

My favorite film is set in the gardens of Impressionist painter Claude Monet in Giverny, France. Watch the teaser!

More works of Valentino https://pennefatherfilms.com/films/

Valentino’s Choreographic awards

He won the School’s Ursula Moreton Choreographic Award in 2005. He choreographed Sonata for Six for the School’s 2013 matinee and regularly creates pieces for The Royal Ballet’s Draft Works. In 2013 he choreographed Orbital Motion for New English Ballet Theatre. (Source roh.org.uk)

Biography

Italian dancer Valentino Zucchetti is a First Soloist of The Royal Ballet. He trained at The Royal Ballet Upper School and on graduation joined Zürich Ballet. He joined the Company in 2010, promoted to First Artist in 2011, Soloist in 2012 and First Soloist in 2014.

Zucchetti was born in Calcinate and began training locally aged four. Aged 11 he moved to Milan to study at La Scala Ballet School. Aged 16 he was offered a scholarship to study at The Royal Ballet Upper School and while there won the 2006 Genée International Ballet Competition and the 2007 Solo Seal award. In his final year he created a role in Christopher Hampson’s Three Dialogues for the School’s annual matinee. He subsequently joined Zürich Ballet and moved to Norwegian National Ballet in 2009. His repertory in Zürich and Oslo included Gurn (La Sylphide) and Prince (The Nutcracker). Zucchetti’s repertory with The Royal Ballet includes Colas (La Fille mal gardée), Rhapsody, blue boy (Les Patineurs), Lescaut (Manon), Brother Clown (The Winter’s Tale), Gypsy Girl’s Lover (The Two Pigeons), Lensky (Onegin), Espada (Don Quixote), Hilarion (Giselle), Puck (The Dream), Hans-Peter and Prince (The Nutcracker), Mercutio (Romeo and Juliet), Bronze Idol (La Bayadère), Lead Hungarian Officer (Mayerling), Bluebird (The Sleeping Beauty), Fool (The Prince of the Pagodas) and roles in The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude, Tarantella, Jewels, The Human Seasons, Scènes de ballet, Symphonic Variations, DGV: Danse à grande vitesse and Within the Golden Hour. He has created roles for Carlos Acosta, Kim Brandstrup, David Dawson, Alastair Marriott, Liam Scarlett, Heinz Spoerli and Christopher Wheeldon, among others.

Zucchetti won the School’s Ursula Moreton Choreographic Award in 2005. He choreographed Sonata for Six for the School’s 2013 matinee and regularly creates pieces for The Royal Ballet’s Draft Works. In 2013 he choreographed Orbital Motion for New English Ballet Theatre.