Italy's most important dance fair
From February 21 to 23, 2025, Florence will once again become the world capital of dance with the 19th edition of Danzainfiera, the event traditionally hosted at the Fortezza da Basso that attracts high-caliber professionals and fans of the dance industry for a kermis full of performances, auditions, workshops and meetings. The Teatro alla Scala Academy will also be among the protagonists of this edition with several activities, some of which are already sold out.
In fact, the three events that will enliven the Sala della Scherma on Saturday, Feb. 22 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. are registering sold out: the internship reserved for dancers between 15 and 22 years old held by Frédéric Olivieri, director of the Dance Department of the Accademia Teatro alla Scala, who will also return to direct the Teatro alla Scala Ballet Corps as of March 1; the classical-academic dance class aimed at budding tersicians (11-14 years old; 11 a.m. 3-12:45 p.m.) and the workshop for dance teachers (1:00-2:30 p.m.) that delves into The Fundamentals of a First Course barre, addressing the methodology behind the teaching of barre technique, appointments both entrusted to Elisa Scala, a teacher at La Scala Ballet School, accompanied by Misato Sasaki, accompanying master of the Academy.
Still a few more chances, however, to attend Friday, Feb. 21 from 12 to 1:30 p.m., at the Central Pavilion Convention Hall, the meeting Light that tells the story of dance, with Oscar Frosio, lighting designer, and Marco Yari Pasotti, coordinator of the Academy's orientation activities, who will introduce the audience to the discovery of the crucial role of light in a dance performance, not a mere technical tool, but a narrative element capable of shaping and amplifying the beauty of body language. Also not to be missed from 2 to 3:30 p.m. will be a demonstration by Mara Casasola, a makeup artist from La Scala Theater and teacher at the Academy, who using a model will illustrate step by step the secrets of creating a makeup and hairstyle project for a ballerina.
At 4 p.m. it will be the Unicredit Talk Arena at the Ground Floor of the Central Pavilion that will host Frédéric Olivieri for an interview, moderated by Raffaella Tramontano, on the topic of Dancing in the 21st Century, a unique opportunity, open to the public, to get to know the thoughts of one of the most authoritative exponents of the current choreographic scene on the evolution that technique has undergone over time and the importance of training, not only that of dancers, but also that of teachers, who are now being asked to forge dancers who are increasingly multifaceted and prepared.
The last appointment for the Academy will be on Sunday, Feb. 23, in the Conference Hall of the Central Pavilion where, between 1:30 and 3 p.m., Omar De Bartolomeo, orthopedic physician of the ASST Gaetano Pini-CTO in Milan, as well as orthopedic physician of the Teatro alla Scala Ballet Corps and the Dance Department of the Teatro alla Scala Academy, will address the highly relevant topic of prevention and treatment of dancers' pathologies, including those who practice dance at an amateur level, not only professionally.
Educational coordinators and experts from the Academy, on the other hand, will take turns throughout the fair in the booth located at the Cavaniglia Pavilion to welcome those who wish to learn about the educational offerings of the Milanese institution, which, through four departments-Music, Dance, Stage and Management-now covers almost all the professions that revolve around live performance, from artistic to managerial to technical.
The catalog is divided into training courses, advanced training courses, I and II level academic diploma courses pertaining to AFAM (Alta Formazione Artistica, Musicale e Coreutica), which grant degrees equivalent to university degrees, as well as I level Masters, workshops and summer internships. The teaching staff, made up of the artists and professionals of Teatro alla Scala, who are joined by the most authoritative experts in the field of live performance, share a teaching methodology that fosters a valid professional insertion through an intense and daily training activity “in the field,” on stage and behind the scenes.
Please note that registration is now open for all 2025-2026 courses in the Dance Department.
