The ballerina Alessandra Ferri has had many dance lives. On Tuesday, the Vienna State Ballet announced that Ferri, a former principal dancer with American Ballet Theater, would be its next artistic director, succeeding Martin Schläpfer when his contract ends in August. “It does feel to me like a natural progression.”Ferri will have a big job in Vienna. The 102-dancer company gives around 80 performances a year of its own repertory at both the Vienna State Opera and the Volksoper theaters, as well as appearing in opera productions. And Ferri’s job will also include running the affiliated Ballet Academy, which was hit by allegations of abuse in 2019.

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Persons: Alessandra Ferri, Ferri, Martin Schläpfer, Martha Clarke, Lars Lubovitch, Wayne McGregor’s “, ”, Juliet, “ Romeo, ” Ferri Organizations: Vienna State Ballet, Ballet, Spoleto, Ballet Theater, Vienna State Opera, Ballet Academy Locations: Italian, Italy, London, Vienna