Valentino Zucchetti
Valentino was born in Calcinate, Italy and began training locally aged four. Aged 11 he moved to Milan to study at La Scala Ballet School. At the age of 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.
After graduation he 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).
In 2010 he joined The Royal Ballet in London and was promoted to First Artist in 2011, Soloist in 2012 and First Soloist in 2014. Valentino’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 and in 2021 created Anemoi for The Royal Ballet which was performed on the main stage of the Royal Opera House.
Valentino Zucchetti Ballet Class
Ballet ClassValentino Zucchetti59 MinutesAdvanced LevelIn this film, Valentino teaches his own specially designed ballet class covering Barre, Centre and Allegro. Valentino is not only a highly respected First Soloist of the Royal Ballet dancing the company’s leading...