Lorena Baricalla, an extraordinary woman

Lorena Baricalla is an international multi-talented artist, restless, a polyglot woman – she speaks five languages – who has conquered all the sectors in which she has worked. Her overwhelming personality manages to excel wherever she goes. And furthermore is a sensitive person that help always the others.
She is a Prima ballerina, singer and actress as well as choreographer, writer and producer.
Moreover she is also Master of Ceremonies for international events, Ambassadress/Endorser for fashion brands and Ambassadress for international projects.

She has performed in over 35 countries throughout the world, in theatre and television.

Born into a family of Monaco since more than 5 generations with Italian, French, Czech and German origins, Lorena has always lived in Monte-Carlo. 

After gaining her diploma from Monte-Carlo’s “Princess Grace” Academy with the highest marks, she began her career by performing the leading roles at the Monte-Carlo Ballet: Sheherazade, the Mermaid in The Prodigal Son, the Marquise in Marco Spada, the Gypsy in The Two Pigeons, the Taming of the Shrew, the Dame Rouge in Gaitée Parisienne, the Favourite in ”Prince Igor”, dancing the works of the 20th century’s greatest choreographers, from Balanchine to Ashton and from Forsythe to the Russian Ballets of Diaghilev.
In addition she has often been the star of the National Day Galas in honour of the Prince of Monaco.

With the aim of furthering her eclectic career she then founded Promo Art Monte-Carlo Production, an international production company based in Monte Carlo, which produces her as an artist and is specialized in the conception and creation of new entertainment projects, big events and shows. This has allowed her to extend her career by linking her abilities as ballerina and choreographer with those of singer and actress.

Versatile performer, Lorena has furthermore created a number of choreographies for theatre, television and important events, performing them at an international level with a cast of up to 100 supporting artists, in such shows as Carmen, Thalassa, Time Machine, Matrix, Belle Epoque Cancan, The Canticle of Canticles, Sheherazade, Worlds of Mysteries, The Michelangelo’s Caves, Legend, The Siren, Romeo and Juliet, Psyche, The Angel, The Trip of Ulysses, etc..

Thanks to her 3-octave voice range, she is the only soprano who sings while dancing on point shoes. She has performed numerous best hits from musicals in her shows that unite dance and song. In “Musical Dreams” she performed The Phantom of the Opera, Moulin Rouge, West Side Story, Cats, Evita, New York New York, My Fair Lady, Victor Victoria, Beauty and the Beast, Jesus Christ Superstar, Notre Dame de Paris …
Garry Kasparov, the World Chess champion presented her show “Checkmate”, a powerful production by Promo Art, with the music of Abba.   

She has had such prestigious partners as Rudolf Nureyev, Eric Vu An (Paris Opera principal dancer), Frédéric Olivieri (Monte Carlo Ballet principal dancer and former director of La Scala of Milan), Marco Pierin (Milan’s La Scala principal dancer), Vladimir Derevianko (Bolshoi principal dancer), etc., and she has shared the stage with such performers as Armand Assante, José Carreras, Montserrat Caballé, Carla Fracci, Gigi Proietti, Riccardo Cucciolla, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Garry Kasparov, Salomon Bourke, Roger Moore, Armando Ariostini, etc..

As an actress capable of acting both on stage and on a set, with the same natural expressiveness in five different languages, she has performed in shows that united acting and dance such as The Light of Memory and in musical in roles such as My Fair Lady and Victor Victoria, and she is filmed for reels and for presentations.

She is sought after as a Master of Ceremonies. She has for example presented Prince Albert of Monaco during the “Red and White Night” at the Cannes Cinema Festival.
She has been Ambassadress and Master of Ceremonies of the Golden Foot Award Monaco: in 2012 with Jimmy Jean-Louis she welcomed on stage Princess Stephanie of Monaco and prize winners Ibrahimovich, Cantona, Baresi, Matthaeus and Pelé; in 2013 in the presence of Prince Albert of Monaco she awarded Didier Drogba, Osvaldo Ardiles, Carlos Valderrama and Jean-Pierre Papin with the participation of the movie star Armand Assante; in 2014 she presented the awards to Andres Iniesta, Mia Hamm, Jean-Marie Pfaff, Hidetoshi Nakata, Hakan Sukur, Antonin Panenka, Roger Milla. The event has been broadcasted by numerous TVs worldwide. 

She is Ambassadress and Master of Ceremonies of the Monaco World Sports Legends Award, the Oscars of Sport. She presented the 2015 official launch at Sportel; the 1° Edition in 2016 with the awarded Mika Hakkinen, Giacomo Agostini, Carl Fogarty, Jhog Uhk Kim, Sir Tony Mc Coy, Pernilla Wiberg, Tia Hellebaut, Jean-Marie Pfaff; and for the 2017 Edition with the awarded Mick Doohan, Jacky IcKx, Josefa Idem, Michèle Mouton, Armin Zoggeler.  

She presented the Oscars of Sport’s talk show «Sporting Stars: the men or the woman behind the champion» and “Show, Art & Fashion” on the web channels (You Tube, Vimeo, Daily Motion) of the Monaco World Sports Legends Award.

She is also sought after as an Ambassadress and Endorser by numerous Fashion and Jewellery brands for international events and shootings: Nordic Angels by Marketa Hakkinen, Genesia Walle, Didimara, CréaZen by Sophie Rouault, Uel Camilo, Eles Italia, Sveta, Gianni Versace Private Collection, Gaetano Navarra, To Be New-York by Simone Vannuzzi, Gianni Calignano, Goldknopf Couture by Thomas Lempertz; Duccio Venturi Bottier, Joshua Fenu shoes, Burak Uyan shoes; Century Time Gems luxury watches and Montblanc Haute Joaillerie, Pia Mariani Haute Joaillerie, Amato Teresa Jewels, Stroili Jewels, Nehro, Marina Corazziari… 

She created the «Méthode Russe de Monte-Carlo de Lorena Baricalla» («The Lorena Baricalla Monte-Carlo Russian Method») to support young dancers and ballet schools.

She is Goodwill Ambassadress for the Organisation VEGB – Visage des Enfants de la Guinée-Bissau, which helps African children.

She has been a guest on television broadcasts in Italy (RAI, Canale 5, Rete4, Sky) Germany, Japan and France. For the Mediterranean Games Gala she danced her own choreography “The Symphony of the Sea” with her corps de ballet in front of a live audience of 20,000 and millions of Eurovision viewers.

Lorena Baricalla is a woman that loves life and for this reason likes to do a lot of different things at the same time, but what do you really prefer?

I like to express myself as an artist and for this I use different languages. This is what I prefer. Obviously it is a big challenge to be able to be a prima ballerina, a singer and an actress….this requested and request me a lot of training. But In a career it’s interesting to have different experiences and new projects. First I started with ballet when I was 4 years old. When I started my career I performed the leading roles at the Monte-Carlo Ballet. As I wanted to become also a choreographer and create my own shows, I founded my own production company PromoArt Monte-Carlo Production, with my manager Tino Genovese. This allowed me to be also a singer and an actress. Then I have also been requested to be a Master of Ceremonies…All this came step by step in my career.  But all this represents who I am.

My first purpose is to transmit emotions.

What would you like to do that you have never done before?

That’s a good question! I think that I already do so many things that it is enough! My wish is to be able to concretize all the projects I have  as a prima ballerina, actress and singer … In particular a project entitled “Origins, the Answer”. It is a new “world” which develops through 3 movies, a show, a book.  It took 5 years of work to myself and to our production company to complete the concept, the visuals, the showreels, the design.

I  wrote the scripts and books that are the basis for the 3 movies and for the show for big arenas which uses a new concept that we have called Live Movie Musical Show.

Origins has the potential to become a new internationally winning “world”, taking over in the aftermath of “Lord of the Rings”, “Stars Wars” and “Harry Potter”. 
We are now ready to start the production of the Live Live Movie Musical Show and our idea is to realize it in the USA… I am also looking for an editor for the  Trilogy books I wrote. 

I t is an adventurous and spiritual epic saga amidst past, present, and future which bring the Answer to the mystery of Man’s origins. 
5000 pages of research and a deep personal exploration of the matter have been necessary to put together the basis of the Origins’ world. Although they are very different, the Origins trilogy books can be ranked in the same vein as The Da Vinci Code or The Secret.  

You have founded Promo Art Montecarlo Production, but I would like to know what your company does and where?

Promo Art Monte-Carlo Production is Monaco based but works in all Europe, Emirates, Usa… It is specialized in the creation and realization of big events and performances for multi-national companies, theatres, shows, private and promotional events.  In addition Promo Art creates new entertainment projects and  develops its activities in cinema, television, multimedia and music production sectors.

I suppose that you had great experiences during the years not only professional, but also personal. Could you, please, explain not only the professional but also the personal life?

My personal life is closely connected with my professional life. Thanks to my work I could travel I lot, round 35 countries. The travels open your mind, gives you the opportunity to know different realities, to meet people from different cultures. This is very important. I respect people and I defend the real values of life. Thanks to my work I could also meet important and interesting people that also became my friends. I try always to capture their best abilities and I learnt a lot. To learn every day is very important as we have always to evolve. For example I danced at the very beginning of my career with Rudolf Nureyev, I shared the stage with José Carreras and with actor Armand Assante, Golden Globe winner, which is really a wonderful person and friend….As Master of Ceremonies of the World Sports Legends Award I meet the greatest sporting stars such as Mika Hakkinen, Giacomo Agostini and Jacky Ickxs or the new F1 racing drivers as Charles Leclerc. The common thread of all these persons is determination, concentration, simplicity.

With so many events, works, presentations and so on. Do you have time for yourself?

No, I don’t…I work all the time but I follow my passion and my dreams! Thanks God my team is also my family!  As well I receive every day a lot of love from many people from all around the world on my social networks. I appreciate so much all these kind words of support! And I am surprised to see that people understand very well who I am just looking to my pictures. I can say that I have a wonderful social network family!

You are a true artist, singer, ballet dancer, television, movie-star. Where does it come from this special way of being an artist?

I think that it comes more from an American vision which is also my vision. In Europe this is quite unusual, there are not even the schools that teach a complete training. But I think that to be a complete artist gives you the possibility to evolve and have different experiences in a career.

You have performed in several countries. Did you have some proposals to act in USA? 

Yes, exactly. I already received some proposals in America and I hope that soon it will be possible to concretize them. Acting is for me a great passion! I can say that it represents me completely.

How is your life in Monaco and what is your roll in the Principality?

Monaco is my country, my family lives here since many generations. I have Italian, French, Czech and German origins. I am very lucky to live in Monaco, located in a beautiful region. It is a very international, small and safe country . My life is dedicated to the work and I also travel a lot. The schedule of my days is always different but I begin every day with my ballet training. It is followed by my singing training or rehearsals or meetings and works in our office. Or I have to attend to events….A very intense life.

What is Fashion for you? You are present in the Cannes Film Festival, in the Formula 1 and all the best parties…

Fashion is something that came to me in the last years thanks to the fact that I also became a Master of Ceremonies and that I have been invited to attend to international events. Because of this many fashion designers asked me to wear their creations and  I became an Ambassador for fashion and  luxury brands This is really a beautiful aspect of my job. I love fashion which is for me an expression of art. Each outfit is like a costume on the stage of life and for this my attitude and the way I walk changes in relation to what I wear. I can’t imagine to wear a costume of the Seventieth century in the same way that a jeans or a long sexy gown!

For the World Sports Legends Award, the Oscars of Sport, that I present as Master of Ceremonies  I will wear in the 2 days  round 20 outfits by ha ute co ut ure fashion designers. For the Award Ceremony and red carpet I will wear 5 amazing  gowns by franco-libanese designer Dany  Atrache. He is based in Paris and he realizes amazing creations!  As well I will wear Dany Atrache for the Press Conference and for the exclusive Awarded Dinner.  I have just been in Paris to do the fittings.  As host of the Talk Show I will wear Raquel Balencia, a Spanish  designer based in Milano. I had big difficulties in selecting her dresses as they are all beautiful.

Now I j ust  choose the luxury jewel-watches by the Swiss brand Century Time Gems  that will match the different outfits. They are the result of  such a creativity! 

You are present in a lot of auctions. What it the real meaning of art for you?

Art is the expression of mankind. Through history the only things which remained as witnesses of each epoque are the artworks, the temples, the books as expression of the thoughts of men.

That’s why art and culture are so important.

I know that you are a very sensitive woman that always helps in charity events. I would like to know more about this. 

As an artist I feel the responsibility to do my best to help people and to defend the human rights. There are so many injustices in the world. And we have to talk and act to chase hate and violence. I also transmit this message on my socials. As I have a large audience with round 1 million and a half of visualization per year it is also a good way to spread all this.

In my field I also created a new ballet Method, called “Method Russe de Monte-Carlo de Lorena Baricalla” (“Lorena Baricalla Monte-Carlo Russian Method”) to support young dancers and ballet schools. As a role model I try to transmit to the children my passion, the sense of discipline, the determination that are so important for everyone in life.

We have now 15 affiliated ballet schools in Italy, France and Monaco and every year PromoArt Monte-Carlo Production distribute round 15 scholarships to assists young dancers. The Method does not simply represent a selection of Ballet’s technical and artistic rules. It is first and foremost a vision, born from my experience. The innovative idea distinguishing the “Method” is that of having created what can be described as a “global academy” and giving all schools the opportunity to access  to a quality Academic Training Program based on international criteria.

It is a unique evaluation system which allows for the pupil’s positioning in the international panorama of ballet according to its 14 levels of study.  The “Method” can carry the pupil to a professional level or to a top quality amateur level.

As well every year our company PromoArt Monte-Carlo Production organizes an event in Monaco which reunites the young dancers for the exams in front of a jury made up  of  international ballet stars and a Committee with international artists as painters, lyrical singers, fashion designers…

How can we concern people to be more involved in helping the needy?

First of all we have to fight to preserve the ethic and moral values. Unfortunately the people and the society in general are loosing these important basis. Money and personal interest govern the world. We have to remind that we can have only one word, that we have to respect the others but first of all ourselves. All the rest, in all the sectors, comes consequentially.

The death of your father marked your life a lot and there is a before and an after. What could you tell us about this?

It has been a very hard period for the whole family. Eight long years of sickness and every day could be the last one. After, I could surmount this thanks of my spiritual vision of life. We are part of the universe as we are made up with the same particles of energy of it.

We cannot fight against death but we can believe in the eternity of our soul as part of the universe soul.

Which are your incoming projects?

I am now preparing as Ambassadress and Master of Ceremonies the 3rd Monaco World Sports Legends Award, the Oscars of Sport, a 2-days event in Monaco that I present in 5 languages. It will be held on the 7 and 8   December and it is produced by PromoArt Monte-Carlo Production. 

This year a “Posthumous  Award” will be given to Ayrton Senna and it will be received by Senna Family coming expressly from Brazil.  The World Sports Legends Award will recognize the greatest champions. Between them:  Freddie Spencer, USA,  3 Times World Champion MotoGP, Jutta Kleinschmidt, Germany, the only woman which won the Paris Dakar, Osvaldo Ardiles, Argentina, Football World Champion.

The WSLA Best Values for Community Support will be given to the Doctor Claudio Costa, Italy, founder of the Mobile Clinic in MotoGp. He saved the life of so many champions.

On this occasion, I am also the host of the Oscars of Sport’s talk show “Sporting Stars: the men or the woman behind the champion” that you can follow on the web channels of the World Sports Legends Award on You Tube, Vimeo, Daily Motion.  This exclusive entertainment and red carpet event  re u nites sporting stars, show, art, fashion and glamo ur and is a unique moment in the Principality of Monaco!