Prima ballerina

The "Prix Benois de la Danse" is the Oscar among prizes for ballet dancers and Alicia Amatriain only recently joined the elite circle of winners. She received the international award in the "Female Dancer" category for her stupendous portrayal of the Devil in Demis Volpi's "The Soldier's Tale" and the role of Blanche DuBois in John Neumeier's "A Streetcar Named Desire". After her appointment as Kammertänzerin (dancer-laureate) by the State of Baden-Württemberg and the German Theatre Award "Der Faust" in the category "Best dance performer", it is the Spaniard's third award this season – an absolute top achievement which makes her a superstar in the ballet scene.

"It came as a total surprise to me. I just didn't expect it. I was thrilled to bits," said Alicia enthusiastically. Reid Anderson, Director of the Stuttgart Ballet, congratulated his Principal Female Dancer. "Alicia has worked very hard for many years. Her discipline and dedication to dance have made her into a world-class dancer and into a muse for many choreographers. I couldn't be happier for her!"

Ballet was only a hobby for Alicia when she was a child. But it soon became obvious that she was exceptionally talented. She was graceful, incredibly expressive and agile. Her chance came when she turned 14. She received a place at one of the world's most famous and elite ballet schools: the John Cranko School in Stuttgart.

Since 2012, Porsche has supported the school as part of its programme to promote young talent. Collaboration with the Stuttgart Ballet also started in the same year. This is how Alicia came to pose next to the Panamera Turbo S Exclusive Sports for an advert last year. Recently, the result was rated "Advert of the Year" by readers of the Stuttgarter Zeitung and Stuttgarter Nachrichten.

Stellar career in Stuttgart

The Spaniard has been Principal Female Dancer of the Stuttgart ensemble since 2002. Since then, she has starred in numerous roles including Swan Lake, Romeo and Julia and Don Quixote. Famous choreographers such as Itzik Galili or Marco Goecke have written roles to fit her talents and internationally she has enthralled audiences during guest appearances such as at the Russian Bolshoi Ballet or the Ballet of the Paris Opera.

Moving away from the state capital of Baden-Württemberg is not an option at all for the Spaniard. She says: "The ballet in Stuttgart has become my second home. I really feel at home here." This certainly also has to do with her good relationships with her colleagues. There's absolutely no truth in the cliché about merciless competition between professional dancers, claims the 35 year old. "We are friends and we work together seven days a week. Actually we are a family."

Alicia is full of ideas about what she’s going to do with her life after her ballet career but she still has no definite plans yet. "Just wait and see," she says – and enjoy the feeling of being one of the best prima ballerinas in the world.