José Neglia
Encyclopedia
José Neglia was a notable Argentine ballerino, who perhaps more than any other figure, helped popularize the classical ballet
in his country.
to an Italian Argentine
family, in 1929. He took an early interest in the ballet, and at age 12, began taking lessons at the National Conservatory of Music and Scenic Arts, and later from Michel Borowski, a well-known local figure in the ballet. Neglia was accepted into the dance school of the Colón Theatre, the nation's premier opera house, was made part of the opera house's ballet company and was eventually named its primo ballerino.
Leading the ballet company, he became well-known during the 1950s and '60s for his performances with his female counterpart in the company, Norma Fontenla
. He received nuemrous distinctions at home and abroad, including the Vaslav Nijinsky
Prize from the International Dance Association, and the gold medal at the 6th International Festival of Dance, both in Paris
, in 1968. Among his many leading roles, some of the most notable were in Maurice Ravel
's Boléro
, as Laertes
in Hamlet
, and in the title roles in Orpheus
and Romeo and Juliet. Russian ballet virtuoso Rudolph Nureyev chose the Colón Theatre for his 1971 season of Peter Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker
, for which he joined the ballet company led by Fontenla and Neglia. The success of the program was followed by a series of performances by Nureyev with the company for Argentine television, as well.
The nine members of the ballet company boarded a flight at Jorge Newbery Airfield
on October 10, 1971, en route to Trelew
, a city in Patagonia
where they were scheduled to perform. Shortly after takeoff, however, the twin-engine plane stalled, nose-diving into the Río de la Plata
and killing all aboard. Their remains lay in state at the Colón, and on the first anniversary of the tragedy, a monument in their honor was unveiled on Lavalle Plaza, near the opera house.
Classical ballet
Classical Ballet is the most formal of the ballet styles, it adheres to traditional ballet technique. There are variations relating to area of origin, such as Russian ballet, French ballet, British ballet and Italian ballet...
in his country.
Life and work
Neglia was born in Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
to an Italian Argentine
Italian Argentine
An Italian Argentine is a person born in Argentina of Italian ancestry. It is estimated up to 25 million Argentines have some degree of Italian descent...
family, in 1929. He took an early interest in the ballet, and at age 12, began taking lessons at the National Conservatory of Music and Scenic Arts, and later from Michel Borowski, a well-known local figure in the ballet. Neglia was accepted into the dance school of the Colón Theatre, the nation's premier opera house, was made part of the opera house's ballet company and was eventually named its primo ballerino.
Leading the ballet company, he became well-known during the 1950s and '60s for his performances with his female counterpart in the company, Norma Fontenla
Norma Fontenla
Norma Fontenla was an Argentine prima ballerina.-Life and work:Fontenla was born in 1930, and while still a child, began attending the National Conservatory of Music and Scenic Art, in Buenos Aires. She was later accepted into the dance school of the Colón Theatre, the nation's premier opera house...
. He received nuemrous distinctions at home and abroad, including the Vaslav Nijinsky
Vaslav Nijinsky
Vaslav Nijinsky was a Russian ballet dancer and choreographer of Polish descent, cited as the greatest male dancer of the 20th century. He grew to be celebrated for his virtuosity and for the depth and intensity of his characterizations...
Prize from the International Dance Association, and the gold medal at the 6th International Festival of Dance, both in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, in 1968. Among his many leading roles, some of the most notable were in Maurice Ravel
Maurice Ravel
Joseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...
's Boléro
Boléro
Boléro is a one-movement orchestral piece by Maurice Ravel . Originally composed as a ballet commissioned by Russian ballerina Ida Rubinstein, the piece, which premiered in 1928, is Ravel's most famous musical composition....
, as Laertes
Laertes
In Greek mythology, Laërtes was the son of Arcesius and Chalcomedusa. He was the father of Odysseus and Ctimene by his wife Anticlea, daughter of the thief Autolycus. Laërtes was an Argonaut and participated in the hunt for the Calydonian Boar...
in Hamlet
Hamlet (opera)
Hamlet is an opéra in five acts by the French composer Ambroise Thomas, with a libretto by Michel Carré and Jules Barbier based on a French adaptation by Alexandre Dumas, père and Paul Meurice of Shakespeare's play Hamlet.- Ophelia mania in Paris:...
, and in the title roles in Orpheus
Orpheus (ballet)
Orpheus is a ballet made by George Balanchine on Ballet Society, which he founded together with Lincoln Kirstein and of which he was ballet master, to eponymous music from 1947 by Igor Stravinsky, his frequent collaborator, with sets and costumes by Isamu Noguchi.The premiere took place on April...
and Romeo and Juliet. Russian ballet virtuoso Rudolph Nureyev chose the Colón Theatre for his 1971 season of Peter Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St...
, for which he joined the ballet company led by Fontenla and Neglia. The success of the program was followed by a series of performances by Nureyev with the company for Argentine television, as well.
The nine members of the ballet company boarded a flight at Jorge Newbery Airfield
Aeroparque Jorge Newbery
-Accidents and incidents:*On 17 December 1969, an Austral Líneas Aéreas C-46 Commando, lost engine 1 due to fuel exhaustion shortly after take-off. The plane failed to gain height and made a crash landing in a small sport field...
on October 10, 1971, en route to Trelew
Trelew
-References:La Pasión según Trelew, Espejo de la Argentina, 1997, Editorial Planeta Argentina S.A.I.C.; Third Edition: April 2000, Buenos Aires, ISBN 950-742-859-3-External links:* * * *...
, a city in Patagonia
Patagonia
Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
where they were scheduled to perform. Shortly after takeoff, however, the twin-engine plane stalled, nose-diving into the Río de la Plata
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...
and killing all aboard. Their remains lay in state at the Colón, and on the first anniversary of the tragedy, a monument in their honor was unveiled on Lavalle Plaza, near the opera house.