Today we’d like to introduce you to Angelo Greco.
Hi Angelo, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started dancing when I was 12 and a half in my hometown school, Danzarte, where I fell in love with classical ballet thanks to my teacher, Emanuela Mussini. At fourteen, I left home and family to study at Il Balletto di Castelfranco Veneto, where I learned the dedication ballet requires. One of my teachers, Elia Garcia Herrera, taught me something invaluable: before becoming a great dancer, you must know what kind of person you are. He encouraged me to remove the mask and simply be myself. Those first years were very challenging. I was homesick and trained from morning to night. I believe that first year was the hardest. Yet those three years gave me the foundation for my career. I competed in international ballet competitions, receiving scholarships from The Royal Ballet School, Bolshoi, American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey, and La Scala. After three years, I had to choose my path. I first chose the Bolshoi Academy, but circumstances changed during the summer. I made what turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life, joining the Accademia Teatro alla Scala in Milan. There I spent two wonderful years. Immediately after graduating in June 2014, I joined the company that August. My artistic director, Makhar Vaziev, trusted me from the start, casting me as Basilio in Rudolf Nureyev’s Don Quixote. It was an unforgettable moment that marked the beginning of my professional career. Soon, I performed roles such as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, The Prince in The Nutcracker, and many other classical ballets that shaped me as an artist. In 2016, I made a big change, leaving La Scala for San Francisco Ballet in the US. It was intimidating, but I knew growth required risk. The transition wasn’t easy. After two months, I considered leaving, but my father told me, “You wanted the bike, now ride it.” That tough love kept me going. I learned English, adapted to new schedules, longer rehearsals, and a much larger repertoire. Those difficult times taught me resilience. I’m grateful to Helgi Tomasson, who guided me during those nine years. He challenged me to believe in myself and take on roles I didn’t think I could do. For me, ballet is more than steps. It’s storytelling, it’s emotion, it’s a living art form that lets you express who you are. With mentors like Patrick Armand, Felipe Diaz, and Sofiane Sylve, I refined my discipline, character work, and technique. When my director retired, I felt called to a new chapter. In 2024, I joined Houston Ballet and founded Angelo Greco & Company, a non-profit building bridges between Italy and the United States through artistic exchange. We’re also supporting the next generation of dancers, helping with travel and living expenses when they earn opportunities at top schools. Someone once did that for me. When I was thirteen, Francesco Frola gave me my first scholarship. It changed my life. I hope to pass that same opportunity to others. As my teacher Herrera said, teachers throw the coins. It’s up to each person to catch them and make something of them. I’ve been in Houston for two years now, and I’m very grateful for this chapter. I keep learning, challenging myself, and growing, both as an artist and as a person. That’s my journey, and I’m excited for what’s still ahead.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It was not a smooth road; there were always many challenges. First, leaving my family at 13 or 14 was not easy. I was very attached to them, crying every night because I missed them. I missed coming home, riding my bike, sitting at the table with my parents and my brother. Spending time with my friends, just living the life I always knew. Suddenly, everything was different. At such a young age, it felt like I was already working full-time, with the discipline and commitment at an intense level. Another challenge was learning to accept who I was. I was afraid of being judged, and sometimes I doubted myself, but I never doubted that I could make it if I kept working hard. I always pushed forward. Now I can say that a dedicated effort helped me prove myself to myself. It’s never easy to take risks or to do something new.
It’s always easier to talk about changing your life than to actually do it, but that’s where growth happens. Leaving La Scala was one of the hardest decisions. I had a lifetime contract, which is very rare in Italy. Many people opposed it, but my best friend Riccardo Massimi supported me. He told me, ‘It’s your life. Never be afraid to take the next step.’ When I moved to San Francisco Ballet, I didn’t speak English. I didn’t understand the culture, and adapting was tough, but I’ve learned that people can adapt to almost anything if they really want to. Learning a new language, embracing a different culture, kept me inspired, motivated, and growing. Looking back, my career has always been about opening doors that seemed closed. I’ve always been curious about what lies beyond the next challenge. Growth only comes by doing, not by standing still. Today, my biggest challenge is balancing two passions: dancing with Houston Ballet and building the Angelo Greco Company. Every free moment goes to imagining how we can create opportunities, inspire audiences, support young dancers, and contribute something meaningful to the ballet world. Ballet is my life. It shaped who I am, brought me extraordinary people, and helped me discover myself. So, no, it hasn’t been smooth. But every challenge has been worth it. Taking risks, embracing discomfort, and turning unfamiliar situations into growth is, in my opinion, one of the most rewarding ways to pursue something you truly love.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a ballet dancer, and classical ballet is at the center of my life. The art-form has helped me truly discover myself and given me a powerful way to express who I am. I’m proud of having the courage to take difficult steps, like leaving my family at a young age, leaving a secure contract at La Scala to take a chance in San Francisco, and later again moving to Houston to start fresh. I loved the challenge of a new company, in a new environment, in a new language. Those leaps taught me resilience and have given me space to create my own projects, like my own dance company. I believe growth comes through change, risking, and adapting. But I’ve also always appreciated the simple things. A glass of wine after work, a good conversation, or just walking around Houston, and feeling connected to people. My work and my outside life are so different, but they are so important to shaping who I am as a person. Both the artist and the human are all wrapped into one.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
To be honest, I think I’m a very positive person. I love life. I love people. I love doing things. I love singing. Singing makes me so happy. It’s a way of expression. It’s freedom, the same feeling as ballet. But not just singing, it’s going to a restaurant with people you love, sharing remarkable moments. I love being with my best friends. It’s the simple things that make me happy. I don’t need much, I need truth. I need genuine people. I need reality. Those are the most important things in life for me. The love from your family that’s true love, a love that will never turn its back on you. Somehow, family always comes back to you. My family has always been very supportive of me. Friends? You have fights, discussions, but that happens because you care about people, and that is meaningful to me. All of that has guided me to do things I never expected to do. For example, I always sang since I was a kid. I wasn’t great, but maybe I’m a little better now. I still think people sometimes don’t like to hear me sing because I sing a lot, but singing for me is something that really frees my mind. Happiness is something that makes you feel free, and searching for happiness is a daily thing for me. Walking in the morning on the way to work, stopping at a coffee shop, looking around, the sunshine, people laughing and talking, even people fighting. It doesn’t matter. It’s part of the journey, part of life. Life isn’t always going upwards. You need to experience the downs to feel happy again. It’s a full circle. So, in short, I love singing, I love being with people, chatting with friends and family, connecting with new things. That is what brings me happiness and I think all of that is part of everyone. It’s just a matter of whether you want to do it or not.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://angelogreco.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_angelogreco_/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Angelo-Greco-100010730533343/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/angelo-greco-company?trk=public_post-text
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/angelogreco_and_company/?hl=en
Image Credits
Federica Capo
Mathew Rood
Alexander Reneff-Olson
