Watch Alessandra Ferri Dance Alongside Her Younger Self

May 22, 2016

Alessandra Ferri is unstoppable. At age 53, the seemingly ageless ballerina is still inspiring choreographers, dancers and audiences with her endless curiosity, galvanizing artistry and, of course, those beautiful feet. In the last three years alone, she’s created leading roles in Martha Clarke’s Chéri, John Neumeier’s Duse and Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works. And in exactly one month, she’ll be returning to American Ballet Theatre to reprise her most famous role as Juliet in Sir Kenneth Macmillan’s Romeo and Juliet.

 

Perhaps that’s why Boots No7, a pharmacy chain based in the UK, chose her to star in its recent skincare campaign. In it, Ferri dances alongside a hologram of her 19-year-old self (the age she became a principal dancer at The Royal Ballet). Watching them together in unison, it’s fascinating to see how the delicate, wide-eyed teenager has developed into a powerfully self-assured woman. At one point, the two pause and observe one another with curiosity before the older Ferri confidently bursts away in a series of turns.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=XyDp3OOPMiM

The ad may not have much to do with skincare (although it finishes with a close up of Ferri’s luminous face), but we can’t think of a better spokesmodel. The tagline, “Ready for More,” says it all; Ferri certainly is. In addition to Juliet, she is scheduled to perform with The Royal Ballet and Hamburg Ballet next year.

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