Mara Galeazzi: dancing for Africa

By Sarah Crompton Published: 3:10PM GMT twenty-two Feb 2010

Mara Galeazzi is one of those dancers who thrives on being busy. "The some-more underneath vigour I am, the improved I feel," she says, with a laugh.

Which is only as well given the Royal Ballet principal is right away really bustling indeed. In further to dancing Juliet, being one of the leads in Wayne McGregors Infra, and rehearsing revivals of Kenneth MacMillans Judas Tree and Elite Syncopations, she is additionally formulating a new piece for one chairman with the immature choreographer Kristen McNally and creation the last preparations for her own celebration to lift income for the gift she has founded.

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The gala, at Sadlers Wells on Feb 28, facilities a starry choice of Royal Ballet dancers such as Sarah Lamb, Steven McRae, Marianela Nuñez and Thiago Soares to one side stars from alternative spheres such as Jude Law, Samantha Bond and Four Poofs and a Piano. Craig Revel Horwood is one of the choreographers but so are rising talents Liam Scarlett and McNally.

They are all entrance together to lift supports for Maras own charity, Dancing for the Children, that she set up in 2007. Born in Brescia in Italy, she had been spooky with Africa given childhood, and so she motionless to theatre a array of galas and workshops in South Africa in sequence to assistance under-privileged immature kids there. As she pursued her idea, it grew, so when she eventually went to the continent, she took her blemish organisation of twenty people immature dancers and technical staff to Kenya as well.

"It was such a big success," she says. Fund-raising events in Pretoria and Cape Town were total with trips in to townships to work with orphaned children, immature kids with HIV and those who had nothing. "Ballet is a approach of assisting the kids not to be on the streets," she says. "It helps them to have fortify and to grow up with a opposite mindset. For them a possibility to go and demonstrate themselves, it is great and healthy. It is similar to a disinfectant in a way."

In further to approach work with children, the income she lifted has additionally saved schools and helped to keep alternative projects going. "One of the groups we went to in Soweto set up 3 schools with the income we sent them. Thats 600 kids who right away have a place to go to school. Education for them is really important," she says, proudly.

The celebration at Sadlers Wells will capacitate her to take an additional organisation of dancers behind to South Africa, and to go on to await work with immature kids in the country. "They desired the visit," she says. "It seems that they only need to be loved, and what they gained from us was only someone giving them a small time and attention. You could see them smiling and enjoying the actuality that we were there for them. Thats because I wish to go back. Because differently it is as if we were there once and thats it. I wish to show that we are still there for them even if they dont see us."

For Galeazzi, the benefits of such work are only as viewable for the dancers as for the children. "Its an event to work in a opposite approach and it is great for them to work with the kids," she says. "Our career can infrequently be really selfish. So because not make use of your contention to do something similar to this Dancing is what you love so it doesnt cost you anything to go on theatre and do a couple of performances to lift income for these kids."

She speaks with such passion and intelligence, the no consternation she has recruited so most people to her cause, though she herself becomes utterly giggly with the wish of the thought of Jude Law being involved. How did it happen? "I asked him," she says, simply.

In the whisk of wake up that surrounds her, she is obviously carrying fun. She is operative not only with her associate dancers but with her father Jurgen, who additionally functions at the show house. "I suffer some-more you do a gift thing than a celebration where you get paid," she explains. "Because I put all of myself in to it.

"Sometimes dancers can be a small bit in their own mental condition world, but this equates to you see opposite things, you learn, your widespread your mind a small bit wider. I have learnt a lot and it does assistance you as a chairman and as a dancer."

A Gala for Africa is at Sadlers Wells on Feb 28. Tickets 0844 412 4300 or www.sadlerswells.com