In 2012, a different ABT alum, Julio Bocca, was named director of the Ballet Nacional del Sodre in Montevideo with the remit to raise the company’s level. One of the first things he did was recruit his colleague, ABT soloist Maria Riccetto, to come back to her hometown and join the company; so she did, and she became a major celebrity in Uruguay, nearly as big as soccer stars. She retired from dancing at the end of 2019 at age 39, and as of the beginning of 2021, she is the BNS’s artistic director. Here’s a Q&A between Riccetto and Marina Harss. – Pointe Magazine