Back in June, Freed of London USA sadly shared the passing of their general manager and director, Julienne Viola, aged 69. She began her journey with the company in 1977 as an accountant, working under the original owners. Early in her tenure, she trained as a pointe shoe fitter and traveled with renowned Freed fitter Marie Johansson to conduct fittings. After working her way up the ranks, she was officially appointed to her final leadership role in 2018. In total, she dedicated over four decades of her life to Freed.
To recognise Viola’s profound contribution to the dance retail industry and wider dance community in general, DRN spoke to some of the colleagues who worked closely with her, to find out what made her so respected and beloved.
Cultivating a Love for Ballet Culture
While Viola joined Freed without a dance background, her 45 years at the company imbued her with a deep love of ballet. This included watching performances—Freed of London USA marketing manager Kelsie Jones recalls Viola taking the team to see New York City Ballet’s The Red Shoes—but her greatest passion was the culture behind the art form. “She was very interested in what was happening behind the scenes with company members and directors,” says Jones. So, even after she stopped fitting officially, she continued to go on select trips to schools and companies with whom she had a special connection, such as Arizona Ballet and Miami City Ballet.
Going Above and Beyond
Ricardo Asturias, known as Pico, first met Viola over the phone in the 1990s when he began managing the shoe department at Miami City Ballet. “She was very direct and knew what she was talking about, but always asked how I was,” Asturias tells DRN. They didn’t meet in person until 2006, when Viola went to do fittings on the school’s first-year students. “Julienne understood that this was an important day for them, so invited parents along to take pictures of the moment their children went on pointe,” he says. “Some dancers have come back to me since they’ve become professionals and said how special she made that experience for them.”
Viola went above and beyond in many other ways, including working with Miami City Ballet principal dancer Nathalia Arja to export shoes to her mother’s dance school in Brazil. “She believed that if your customer does well, your business does well,” says Asturias. Another example came after 9/11, when Miami City Ballet couldn’t afford shoes for an entire season. Viola took it upon herself to find a way to help. “Thanks to her, we were able to survive.”
Leading With Head and Heart
Asturias’ memories of Viola attest to two aspects of her personality: As Freed of London USA wrote in their statement about her passing, she was both a “formidable businesswoman and a nurturing presence.” Jones, who joined Freed eight years ago, also felt this dynamic firsthand. “She was the type of person who would get off an airplane, put on some clothes from her suitcase, wrinkled or not, and come straight to work,” she says. “Work was her life outside of her family.”
Viola held her team to high standards, but “once you proved yourself, then she loved you,” Jones adds. Asturias also experienced this warmth. “Julienne made you feel as if you were part of her family,” he says. “If I was in New York, she always made a point to invite me to meet.” This genuine care was matched by a sharp sense of humor. “She was definitely an interesting person; we had lots of laughs,” says Jones. “A lot of the time I’d be surprised what came out of her mouth because she had no filter at all!”
Honoring Viola’s Legacy
In her role as general manager and director, “[Viola] was pretty much running the show and served as the liaison between us in the U.S. and the teams in the U.K. and Japan,” says Jones. As a result, adapting daily processes and lines of reporting at the company has been a significant transition since her passing. Yet the Freed team has agreed that “the best way we can honor her is by continuing to do our best for the company,” says Jones.
Even before her passing, Viola’s contribution to the dance industry was recognized: The School of American Ballet honored her just five months before she died. “I think that was probably one of the highlights of her career,” says Jones. “She was really proud to be honored in that way.” Formal recognition aside, Viola’s legacy lives in the personal connections she built and the lives she touched throughout the dance world. For Asturias, the most precious memory he has of her, he says, is her smile.
Emily May is the editor of Dance Retailer News.