Tell us about your dance journey
I was born in Desenzano del Garda. I began my dance studies in Italy, at the Ballets de Toscane in Florence, and then I perfected myself at the Alvin Ailey Dance Center in New York, the Columbus in Zurich and the CND in Paris, the city that I chose as my artistic home. I collaborated with several companies: Doppio Movimento, Steptext Dance Company, La Petite Entreprise, Richard Siegal's company, Laurence Fanon's Compagnie Baroque en France, Pompea Santoro's Ekodanceproject Company and the Opéra de Paris, among others. I combine my career as a dancer with that of a choreographer
When did you start choreographing?
I started between 2008 and 2009, experimenting with creations and choreographies, continuing my career as a dancer. Little by little, I created more, experimenting with my colleagues and finally founded my own company in 2011.
From where do you get inspiration for your choreographies?
As a choreographer at the beginning at Mats Ek, Jiri Kylian, a lot, then Forsythe began to strike me more. Now I look a lot at all the companies of choreographers such as Emanuel Gat, Sidi Larbi, Hofesh Shechter. For me, these are the choreographers who have remained and this is the evolution of dance.
It's different from that of the choreographers of the 20th century, it's true, but they are great as far as I'm concerned and I find myself more in their contemporaneity, so I take a lot of inspiration from them even if in my Company IFunamboli, in every project, there is it is always a poetic rather than contemporary vein. Mine is not an aseptic contemporary, it is not a work of pure style that reflects what may be the latest trend now. For me the queen nowadays is Crystal Pite.
Since many years you are based in France, tell us what do you think about the French dance Scene
I think French dance has evolved a lot and changed a lot since I arrived in France in 2004. Before it was very conceptual and now is very experimental. I really like it because it varies from theater to contemporary. It stays in the times with contemporary and European dance. French dance is supported by the state unlike other European countries which allow us to have funds to help artists.
And what do you think about the Italian dance scene?
In Italy, our dancers emigrate to foreign countries because theaters languish, dance is politicized and has lost its fundamental connotations. Italy has a culture and history, even in dance, that is unparalleled. But today there is no longer any education or attention in this sense. We are a country dominated by other, sometimes discouraging, values. However I do love returning to my home country and working with future Italian dancers. I just worked on a collaboration a pedagogical project in the Festival Fisiko! in Liguria, Italy.
Tell us more about your company I Funamboli
The “IFunamboli” Company was founded by myself in 2011. In 2024, we will celebrate our 15th anniversary with many upcoming projects. IFunamboli is a chameleon-like, multi-purpose company, which can move from neoclassical to pure contemporary, it does not go in just one direction. The dancers all have different training, naturally starting from the classical basis. It is a company that is not defined on a single "mold", but ranges enormously between the various stylistic registers, the dancers who are part of it can dance both on pointe and in sneakers.
I only deal with the artistic part. For the rest I can count on a very capable staff, made up of collaborators who deal with the distribution of the shows. Then I have a choreography assistant, Rafael Molina, and a ballet maître, Maria Pia Di Mauro.
What advice would you give to young aspiring dancers?
I love dancers, because they dress our movement with a very strange fluid, too dry for everyone to see. I would encourage them to create a gesture, to assimilate it, to choreograph it. But they should respect it, deform it little by little, like a costume. This is mysterious. We choreographers need dancers, because we are in the room, and they are on stage, we are in the darkness and they are in the light.
What are your next projects?
Outdoor and Bolero will be danced in different theaters. I just finally finished the creation of the full show of Procréation du Printemps. In the meantime, I am working on a new creation. There also will be the 15th anniversary of the company.
What are you doing when you are not working?
When I don't work I love spending time at the theaters, or going to different art exhibitions. Art is always an inspiration for me and it keeps nourishing my creative mind.
Photo : Tommaso Giuntini