Still flush from her role in Onegin, La Scala prima ballerina Nicoletta Manni received the surprise of her career last fall: The 32-year-old dancer was named La Scala’s first Etoile, or star principal dancer, chosen from the storied ballet company in nearly 40 years. Now, months later, she capped her first whirlwind season as La Scala Etoile this week in the femme fatale role of Manon. She received the loudest applause during a nearly 9-minute curtain call for her melding of technical precision and abandon.
