Lucía Lacarra

Lucía Lacarra (born 24 March 1975) is a Spanish ballet dancer who has been a principal with the Bayerisches Staatsballett (Bavarian State Opera Ballet) from 2002 to 2016. A recipient of the Prix Benois de la Danse, she was named the Dancer of the Decade in 2011, at the World Ballet Stars Gala in Saint Petersburg.

Early life Born in the Basque town of Zumaia, Gipuzkoa, Lacarra was interested in dance from an early age but only received training from the age of 10 when a ballet school opened in her hometown. After participating in a summer course run by Rosella Hightower, she studied for three years with Mentxu Medel in San Sebastián before attending Víctor Ullate's school in Madrid, along with Tamara Rojo and Angel Corella. She soon became a member of his Ballet de Victor Ullate, dancing George Balanchine's Allegro Brillante when she was 15, as well as other modern abstract ballets. There, she paired with the Frenchman, Cyril Pierre.

"I love to do bad stuff! I don't want to get typecast in goody roles." (Lucía Lacarra, 2001) In 2003, at a gala in Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre she was awarded the Prix Benois de la Danse as best female dancer for her role of Tatjana in Cranko's Onegin. In 2011, at the World Ballet Stars Gala in St Petersburg, she was named the Dancer of the Decade.