Greta Zuccarello

Photo Courtesy Of Greta Zuccarello

"I’m currently in NYC, and nope, I haven’t always lived here. I was born and raised in Italy, Treviso, a small city really close to Venice.

The best thing about my hometown it’s that it’s always very tidy and clean and people take good care of it. Although if I really have to say what’s best, is the fact that my parents and family are there.

I took the decision to have dance as a main goal for my professional career at the age of 14, when I moved to Florence to study dance at a high level. Then it all went on from there. That’s what my heart beats for. As a kid I always loved to move, never liked to just be put there on the couch to watch tv etc. I wasn’t that kind of kid. I started with artistic gymnastics when I was very young. At  age 11, I switched to dance, and I never stopped since.

I’m a strong believer that people don’t just choose to dance. It’s something from the inside that somehow tells you is what you have to do in life. It’s what makes you happy. Everyday is a hard day of dedication; failures, happiness and all that. A lot of emotions. But when you get on stage, that’s when you realize why you dance. It’s something special.

I joined Peridance Contemporary Dance Company as a company member in 2015. I started dancing in my hometown school, and moved on to Opus Ballet in Florence for a professional training program. I attended the San Francisco Ballet School summer program, right before moving to NYC to participate in the Peridance Certificate program, from which I graduated before joining the company.

I honestly never had one big influence. Inspiration can come from anyone you see everyday it doesn’t necessarily have to be someone specifically. I have a few people that I look up to though.

I’m a very social person in my free time. I love to hit my favorites spots in the city, hang out with my friends and do regular things people my age do. I’m not a fan of alcohol, but I will never say no ( as long as I have no shows the day after) to a night out with friends. I can have a lot of fun just drinking coke.

Guilty pleasure? Italian (authentic Italian!) restaurants are my favorite! I have a few favorite spots that I will always go to. Soho is the location I much rather be at (not necessarily because is a cool place to be but all my favorite locations are there), for sure.

I love fashion. I’m very casual and easy going. Would much rather wear pants than a dress. But don’t get me wrong, I love to be dressed sexy and all that, just not as routine. I would rather you picture me in cargo pants and sweater rather then heels and cute dress. Or at least, that’s how I see my personality!

I’m bad at beauty routines. Oops! If I remember to do it, my usual regime is pretty easy. Clean your face (especially after rehearsals/ work outs), the pollution in NYC is terrible. And after cleaning my face, I usually do a face mask which varies depending on how I feel. The charcoal one is definitely my favorite, and I apply face lotion before I go to sleep. Twice a week I exfoliate. My big plus is that I barely use makeup, even on stage, I try to keep it minimal, and I use very high end quality makeup with no chemicals. That’s about what my beauty routine is.

How do I Stay in shape? This is an easy one: I dance all day!

People always ask me what do I do to be in shape. You’d be surprised on how dancing develops your body. Every muscle you didn’t even know it existed. I also go to the gym one a week. But, it’s very different workout then with lifting weights. And I stretch a lot.

Cheat days are my favorites, which is basically everyday. Honestly, I have to say that I do eat healthy. I’m not a crazy person with food. I eat good. But I eat. I’ll have a burger once in a while. Pizza is a must. I eat ice cream almost everyday. Don’t take away icecream from me please. I’m not a fan of cakes, cookies and all that, so I never crave 'em. I love salty stuff.I don’t drink alcohol. Never liked it  I guess I never will. So that’s not a cheat for me.

One thing though, that I have to feel guilty about, is candy...OMG candy! My mom tried to stop me from eating it many years ago. It still hasn’t worked!"

- As told to MFB
October 17, 2017