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Making their pointe

Ballerinas’ dedication, passion pays off in applause

Dancers Paola Hartley and Natalia Magnicaballi know they are living the dream of thousands of young girls.

As principal dancers for Ballet Arizona, the two star in productions ranging from classic to modern. They also serve as role models for girls who aspire to the stage. But when asked to dispense wisdom for wannabe ballerinas, they do something unexpected.

They burst out laughing, but it’s a laughter tempered by experience and being passionately devoted to a career that, by some standards, seems so short.

"In general the perspective of dance and ballet in the Latin world is much different than in the United States," Hartley says. "My advice would be that if you have the talent and the potential to be a good dancer, once you’ve trained in whatever country you’ve gone to, (then) explore outside. Try to pick a different ground, whether it’s a country in Latin America or the United States... this is such a big country, that every state has at least one company."

Hartley studied in North Carolina before embarking on her career. The petite dancer was born in Bonn, Germany, but was raised in Chile, where she danced with Ballet Santiago.

Buenos Aires is Magnicaballi’s birthplace, where the tall dancer joined Julio Bocca’s Ballet Argentino.

"If you really love to dance, keep going because this career gives you a lot of opportunities," Magnicaballi says. "I saw places I never thought I’d be able to go, because my family was really poor." She’s traveled to Egypt, and performed across America.

There are drawbacks, Hartley admits, including a lack of time and energy to do things on one’s off-time.

"Most people don’t know that we miss most of the normal holidays people have, like Christmas. But it’s a give or take. There’s nothing like being on stage, dancing with a full orchestra, putting the makeup on, the costumes – you know, being a princess. It’s a girl’s dream. I guess it kind of balances out."

"I have a lot of support from my husband," Magnicaballi adds. "But it’s a 24/7 job. We start very early and finish very late. You need discipline. It’s a short career, too."

"I love what I do. At the same time it’s very hard," Magnicaballi says. "You need to be very tough mentally, physically."

The company will present a Balanchine Festival in June at Symphony Hall. Among works presented will be Theme and Variations, which holds a special place in Hartley’s heart.

"It’s probably one of the hardest ballets I’ve ever done in my life, when it comes to technicalities," Hartley says. "But it’s a really beautiful, brilliant ballet."