The (National Dance Academy) was established in 1940 in
Italy and aims to promote the art and technique of
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
.
The National Dance Academy is the only university-level institute in Italy dedicated exclusively to the training of
dancer
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoi ...
s,
teachers, and
choreographer
Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who cr ...
s,
awarding academy diplomas equivalent to
laurea (
bachelor's degree) and
laurea magistrale
In Italy, the ''laurea'' is the main post-secondary academic degree. The name originally referred literally to the laurel wreath, since ancient times a sign of honor and now worn by Italian students right after their official graduation ceremon ...
(
master's degree).
History
Founded in 1940 in Rome by
Jia Ruskaja,
who transformed her own
milanese school into a public institution,
the organization's name was initially ''Regia Scuola di Danza'' (''Royal Dance School'')
and was annexed to the
National Academy of Dramatic Arts, before becoming autonomous in 1948 under the current denomination of ''Accademia Nazionale di Danza'' (''National Dance Academy'').
The first teacher was
Giuliana Penzi, a student of
Cia Fornaroli. Other dance masters include
Clotilde and
Alexander Sakharoff and
David Lichine,
in 1950, and later
Kurt Jooss and
Jean Cébron.
In 1958 the ''Centro Coreutico Nazionale'' (''National Choreutic Center'') was established, a committee that included leading elements of the ballet companies of
La Scala
La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...
,
San Carlo, and the
Rome Opera House
The Teatro dell'Opera di Roma (Rome Opera House) is an opera house in Rome, Italy. Originally opened in November 1880 as the 2,212 seat ''Costanzi Theatre'', it has undergone several changes of name as well modifications and improvements. The pre ...
, including
Olga Amati and
Guido Lauri. In 1999, the National Dance Academy became an Istituto di Alta Cultura,
a university-level institution, connected to the
Ministry of Education, University and Research.
Facilities
The academy is located near the
Aventine Hill
The Aventine Hill (; la, Collis Aventinus; it, Aventino ) is one of the Seven Hills on which ancient Rome was built. It belongs to Ripa, the modern twelfth ''rione'', or ward, of Rome.
Location and boundaries
The Aventine Hill is the sou ...
, in Largo Arrigo VII, since 1954,
in a complex called ''Castello dei Cesari'',
dating back to
Roman times.
The academy boasts a 3000 m2 garden and it is divided into three buildings, housing offices, dance classrooms, theatres, and libraries.
The academy is also equipped with two outdoor theaters with mobile stages and an internal one, the Ruskaja Theatre, created from an ancient Roman cistern.
Directors
*
Jia Ruskaja (1948-1970)
*
Giuliana Penzi (1970-1989)
* Lia Calizza (1989-1996)
* Margherita Parrilla (1996-2013),
with
Pina Bausch as Honorary Director (2006-2009)
* Bruno Carioti (2013-2014), as Special Commissioner
* Giovanna Cassese (2014-2015), as Special Commissioner
* Bruno Carioti (2015-2016)
* Giulio Vesperini (2016-2017), as Special Commissioner
* Maria Enrica Palmieri (2017-)
References
External links
*
{{authority control
Dance schools in Italy
Universities in Italy
Education in Rome
1940 establishments in Italy