My Ballerina: This Italian TV Series Is a Love Letter to Vicenza
Summary: My Ballerina is an Italian mystery series set in stunning Vicenza, a city in Italy’s Veneto region. It tells the story of choreographer Emma Conti who returns home hunting for her long-lost daughter, discovering romance and mystery. Vicenza is the epicenter of Palladian architecture, far from the crowds of nearby Venice and Verona.
My Ballerina is a binge-worthy Italian series that captures the beauty and intrigue of Vicenza, an often unsung city in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy. The gripping program is a blend of romance, mystery and drama.
Now available on Amazon Prime, the series debuted on Canale 5 in 2021 with the Italian name Luce dei tuoi Occhi (in English, The Light of Your Eyes).
The Storyline of My Ballerina
The two-season series, with 12 episodes in each, tells the layered story of a courageous and celebrated choreographer, Emma Conti, who returns home to Vicenza after achieving success in New York City.
Emma has received a mysterious note, leading her to believe that her daughter may actually be alive, and she becomes obsessed with finding her.
When she returns to Vicenza to begin her search, her mother Paola, brother Roberto and sister-in-law Azzurra encourage Emma to stay and oversee an upcoming festival sponsored by the Conti Dance Academy.
The viewer learns early on that 16 years ago, Emma got divorced from her former husband after the sudden death of their newborn, Alicia, which led her to leave Vicenza to start a new beginning.
Emma becomes a devoted dance instructor to six young women, aspiring ballerinas, at the dance academy who worship her like a mother: Valentina, Anita, Miranda, Sofia, Alessia, and Martina. Emma is convinced that one of them may be her daughter.
The series will especially appeal to lovers of dance as viewers see the ballet company practice a modern interpretation of Swan Lake while Emma decides which of the women will be chosen as the lead dancer.
Each episode takes unexpected twists and turns. Emma also develops a close friendship with the girl’s handsome high school teacher, Enrico Leoni, a relationship that turns into a romance.
The Setting of My Ballerina in Vicenza
Some of the series was actually shot in Rome, but the riches of Vicenza are showcased in every episode. The city is less than an hour away from two tourist meccas, Verona and Venice, but seems to sit in their shadows. All three of these “V” cities sit within the same Veneto region.
Vicenza was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 in recognition of its unique architectural, historical, cultural and culinary charms. Lovers of architecture will also fall in love with this city and its portrayal in this series.
Viewers of My Ballerina are introduced to some of the city’s highlights:
Palladian Architecture
The walkable city center has 23 well-preserved Palladian buildings and another 24 are scattered around the surrounding countryside. The green-domed Basilica Palladiana seems omnipresent in the story.
The Renaissance-style building with the architect’s signature Palladian windows was designed by Andrea Palladio in 1549. Still used for civic events, the masterpiece was meticulously restored in 2007 and won the European Prize for Cultural Heritage in 2014.
Palazzo Chiericati
Viewers will also get to see this two-story Renaissance palace designed by Palladio, which is now the city’s civic museum. Built on a raised platform, the impressive structure is easily identifiable in the series because of the row of statues atop the roof.
Piazza dei Signori
The Piazza dei Signori is a public square in the heart of the historic center of Vicenza, the virtual living room of the city. We often see the show’s characters meeting in or around the piazza.
Restaurants, bars and some of the city’s most important buildings sit on the square, including the impressive Basilica Palladiana, the Loggia del Capitaniato, and the Palazzo del Comune.
Also designed by Palladio, the square features classic columns and porticoes. It’s a perfect place to admire the architecture and people-watch. Street performers are often part of the sidewalk entertainment.
St. Michael’s Bridge
With picturesque railings decorated with flowers (reminiscent of the bridges of Strasbourg, France), St. Michael’s Bridge (Ponte San Michele) is one of Vicenza’s romantic stone bridges.
Some say the classic design of St. Michael’s Bridge was created by Palladio; other historians attribute the design to his student, Vincenzo Scamozzi. Decorated with statues of angels and saints, the bridge with five arches is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Olympic Theater
The Olympic Theater (Teatro Olimpico) is known as the oldest closed theater in the world. It was Palladio’s last masterpiece and is considered one of his greatest. The project was built between 1580 and 1585.
Vincenzo Scamozzi designed the trompe-l’oeil scenery. The colorful street scenes painted on the stage look as though they lead to a distant horizon; the high ceiling of the theater depicts a blue sky.
Piazza delle Erbe
The vibrant Piazza delle Erbe, located behind the Basilica Palladiana, is another backdrop for the story. Surrounded by shops, bars, and restaurants, it is a popular nightspot for young people in the town (like the series’ young dancers).
Corso Palladio
Named after the town’s most famous citizen, the Corso Palladio is its main street. Crossing from west to east, the pedestrian street is lined with many of Vicenza’s most famous buildings.
In announcing Vicenza as a location for the series, then Mayor Francesco Rucco told the online weekly VicenzaToday, “This is an exceptional opportunity to showcase our city, which we’ve seized right from the start by offering outdoor spaces in the historic center, as well as prestigious venues owned by the city, such as the Teatro Olimpico and Palazzo Chiericati.”
You can read more about the historic city in my earlier article, “Visit Vicenza: A Captivating Day Trip from Venice.”
The Stars of My Ballerina
This is truly an ensemble cast because of the well-developed characters, whom viewers learn about as the story unfolds:
Anna Valle stars as Emma Conti. Born in Rome, Valle currently lives in Vicenza. The former Miss Italy brings immense talent and a broad emotional range to the role, making her truly captivating to watch. (After watching her in My Ballerina, I searched for other series in which she starred and put them on my watchlist.)
Giuseppe Zeno stars as Enrico Conti, a devoted high school mathematics and physics teacher. He provides emotional support and plays a critical role in helping Emma discover the mystery of her past.
Other supporting characters include:
Bernardo Casertano as Davide Fabris, Emma’s ex-husband and the biological father of her missing daughter;
Emma’s mother, Paola (played by Paola Pitagora), the founder of the dance academy at the center of the story;
Emma’s brother, Roberto (played by Luca Bastianello), who works at the academy until his past catches up with him; and
Luisa Guerra, the current wife of Emma’s ex-husband and the mother of one of the dancers. Played by Maria Rosario Russo, Luisa is the deputy commissioner of police.
Each of the young dancers, too, is an amazing actor and performer.
Where to Watch My Ballerina
Both seasons of My Ballerina have been streaming on Amazon Prime since April 2023.
Season 1 was released in Italy in 2021 and Season 2 in 2023. The series still feels fresh, modern and relevant to the times.
Filmed in Italian, My Ballerina is subtitled in English with a memorable soundtrack by Italian composer Savio Riccardi.
Written by Eleonora Fiorini, Davide Sala and Mauro Casiraghi, the series was directed by Fabrizio Costa.
My Ballerina is a co-production of Mediaset and Banijay Studios Italy.
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I’ve only had an opportunity to watch one episode, and was immediately drawn in. Thanks for letting me know about this!
Glad you liked it, too.