Danila Marzilli
Artist
(She/her)
Joined Scottish Ballet: 2024
Training: Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
The curtain call at the end of a performance feels like the proudest moment ever.
Born in Glasgow and raised in Italy, Danila Marzilli began her professional training at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2016. During her graduate year in BA Modern Ballet, Danila joined Scottish Ballet as a guest artist for the Wee Hansel and Gretel and Cinderella winter tour 2018/19. During this time she was selected as one of the top five ballet finalists in the televised national dance competition BBC Young Dancer 2019. Following her graduation in 2019, Danila has worked with Ballet Cymru, dancing the role of Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, touring United Kingdom, China, Bermuda and New York.
She later joined the Baltic Opera Ballet of Gdańsk in 2020, dancing soloist roles such as Cinderella and Mercedes from Don Quixote. Other roles include ‘Stepsister’ and ‘The Fairy Winter’ from Cinderella, the Spanish variation from The Nutcracker, the ‘Street Dancer’ from Don Quixote and ‘Bertha’ from Giselle.
Passionate about dancers’ versatility and expanding artistic horizons, Danila is also developing a passion for choreography.
Her first created piece Incognito was performed onstage attaining first place in the Annual Choreographic Competition at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. In addition to this she has created works for Ballet Cymru’s Pre-Professional programme and whilst working with Baltic Opera Ballet, Danila has been able to choreograph and stage multiple works – Fundamenta (2021) and Deviate (2022) – as part of ‘Young Choreographer’s Evening’. Her most recent work Daze was commissioned and performed at the Latvian National Opera for the International Baltic Ballet Competition this year.
Danila also really values dancers’ health and well-being and became a qualified L3 Personal Trainer in 2023 whilst developing her dance career.
What career moment are you most proud of?
There are many proud moments in the life of a dancer but the one I won’t ever forget was my first bow to my first audience as a professional ballet dancer. That was a very special one. Even with the years passing, the stage nerves that won’t probably ever leave me, the curtain call at the end of a performance feels like the proudest moment ever.
What’s your favourite ballet to perform and why?
My favourite ballet to perform has to be David Dawson’s Swan Lake. It has been a long dream of mine to perform this ballet that I have been very lucky to tick off my bucket list. I love this production because it really celebrates the corps de ballet at its best – every swan poured heart and soul into each show. Such a challenging yet inspiring ballet, being the most rewarding experience so far in my career.
What’s something people might not know about you?
I was a competitive swimmer and basketball player before I started ballet at 12. Whenever I need a confidence boost I think of little me standing on a podium with a shiny medal, proudly breaking a record in my region in Italy for my age group, with the butterfly stroke.
I am also a qualified personal trainer!
What does “home” mean to you?
Being from both Italy and Scotland makes this a hard question for me, but I think it is the people and the feeling I get when I’m in each place that creates home. It’s a feeling of warmth, love, happiness and belonging that creates home.
What’s the funniest thing that happened on stage?
I was performing the role of Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. I was laying down on the bed in one of the dramatic bedroom scenes when suddenly I felt as if I was moving… the brakes on the bed mistakenly weren’t on, the bed started rolling and funnily enough we were performing on a raked stage. As I started to pick up speed and see the orchestra pit approach, a few stage technicians saved the day and wheeled me and the bed back upstage. It all happened in just a few seconds but it is something I still hilariously laugh at today.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
I would tell myself to chill out, have patience, that my time will come.
What’s your favourite book/movie and why?
8 Mile, a film containing autobiographical elements from Eminem’s life. A story of finding the strength to turn pain into power. This movie always inspired in me an undying will to work hard for your dreams.
What’s your hype song?
Again… Eminem, “Lose Yourself”. Sorry, I’m a big fan!
Repertoire Highlights: Juliet in Romeo & Juliet, Cinderella and Stepsister in Cinderella, Mercedes in Don Quixote, Bertha in Giselle.
Accolades: Ballet Category Finalist in BBC Young Dancer 2019.
