What retirement? Alessandra Ferri returns to Juliet — at 53

NEW YORK (AP) — There are those who, upon retiring from an eventful career, sigh with relief and sink contentedly into the new rhythms of a life unfettered by deadlines and pressure.

[...] there are people like ballerina Alessandra Ferri, who retired from American Ballet Theatre in 2007 and soon found herself waking up in the morning and asking: "Who am I?"

She'll be dancing it for the first time since her ABT farewell on the same Metropolitan Opera House stage nine years ago, when glittering gold confetti rained down and an adoring crowd cheered for 20 minutes of curtain calls.

The next day, the Italian-born dancer will be sworn in as a U.S. citizen.

On a recent afternoon, Ferri repaired to her dressing room in the bowels of the opera house after a rehearsal.

Just enjoy yourself!

Because the pressure is really just from me, from my own memories. ...

To the obvious question of whether Juliet, a teenager, can be played by a woman in her 50s, Ferri's fans would note that she's always been able to imbue the role with a sense of youthful ardor and abandon.