A STEP BEYOND
“Methodologies, languages, and professional skills for the dance of tomorrow”
Project Ref. PA 2024-23059/RER/2, approved by Regional Resolution DGR 2287 dated 09/12/2024 and carried out with the support of European Funds from the Emilia-Romagna Region.
Project n. 2 – Edition n. 1

 

ONE MORE DANCE?
DANCE AS A TOOL FOR CULTURAL WELFARE

Professional Area: Artistic and Performing Arts Production

The project trains a professional capable of promoting the value of differences—not as limitations, but as resources and starting points for a shared creative journey—through the use of inclusive dance approaches and educational tools..

A professional who, understanding the impact of dance on various forms of vulnerable bodies, is able to gather the necessary information to identify the goals of an inclusive pathway, creating an accessible common language. They will know how to work with groups of different sizes and compositions, how to create and present performances that ensure the integration and expression of body and mind. They will also be able to assess the impact of artistic work on individual well-being.

 

Participants will acquire the skills to:

 

  • Teach and promote dance among individuals in vulnerable conditions (including those with disabilities, elderly individuals, or people experiencing psychological, social, or physical fragility), through performing arts institutions, social cooperatives, and organizations focused on social inclusion;
  • Integrate dance as a tool for cultural welfare, inclusion, and personal well-being, recognizing its rehabilitative and transformative power and its impact on various forms of distress;
  • Use dance as a means for the free expression of the body and emotions, enhancing the self-generative and healing potential of artistic practice;
  • Organize events, performances, and workshops within educational and rehabilitative settings, including as freelance professionals.

At the end of the course, participants will be able to use dance, improvisation, and movement as forms of inclusion—tools for deep connection and communication among people, regardless of their vulnerabilities. They will be able to adapt a teaching approach centered on body-based, expressive, and communicative activities, experimenting with alternative and universal languages.

               

The project, totaling 150 hours, is structured into 5 modules delivered through active and participatory methods. The training will be led by some of the most prominent artists working in the fields of disability and aging, both nationally and internationally.

The project includes the following modules:

  • Module 1 – Dance and Performing Arts as a Tool for Social and Community Inclusion – 32 hours
  • Module 2 – Dance and Integrated Practices for People in Vulnerable Conditions – 32 hours
  • Module 3 – Dance Pedagogy and Practical Tools – 32 hours
  • Module 4 – The Language of Total Physical Theatre – 27 hours (22 hours in class, 5 hours project work)
  • Module 5 – Creating Inclusive Performances – 27 hours (22 hours in class, 5 hours project work)

Each training session is based on an experiential approach and includes classes, discussions, and field projects. The program fosters the exchange of knowledge, skills, and artistic experiences to enrich reflection and strengthen participants’ competencies.

 

Through action and reflection on action, the program enhances learning capacity, values participants’ existing knowledge, and integrates it with new techniques—enabling meaningful learning that makes room for creative expression, the facilitator’s sensitivity, and the ability to connect with others in a dynamic free of judgment, grounded in exchange and mutual enrichment.

Experimentation and the discovery of new creative processes and dance languages are also made possible through the relationship with the instructor. A significant part of the training is devoted to active dialogue between instructors and participants, as well as the exploration of different modes of bodily expression. The aim is to foster a sense of trust and comfort, facilitating the integration of physical and emotional dimensions.

FRANCA ZAGATTI | October 24, 25, 26, 2025

 

Franca Zagatti is a dance educator and artist who has long advocated for a pluralistic and inclusive vision of dance. She has led educational dance workshops across all school levels and is the creator of artistic projects involving intergenerational groups, families, seniors, and people with disabilities—within festivals, cultural events, and performance settings.

Her work includes extensive research on educational and community dance, as well as training for educators, dance teachers, dancers, and performers. She is Director of the Danzeducatore® course at the Centro Mousikè in Bologna and serves as President of DES – Associazione Nazionale Danza Educazione Società.

Author of numerous essays and monographs, she was also a lecturer at the Faculty of Education and DAMS at the University of Bologna from 1999 to 2013.

 

CHARLOTTE DARBYSHIRE | November 21, 22, 23, 2025

 

Charlotte Darbyshire is an artist and educator, founding member of CandoCo Dance Company, established in the UK in 1994, and later appointed co-Artistic Director in 2017. A pioneer in the performative approach to inclusive practice, she has long championed movement and artistic expression as central elements of her work. Through her vision, she has helped redefine contemporary dance by integrating performers with and without disabilities, shaping a more accessible and diverse dance landscape.

 

GIUSEPPE COMUNIELLO | December 19, 20, 21, 2025

 

Giuseppe Comuniello is a dancer and performer. He began his dance journey in 2009 with choreographer Virgilio Sieni, with whom he continues to collaborate. Over the years, he has worked with both national and international choreographers, including Alessandro Schiattarella, Emanuel Gat, Emanuel Rosenberg, and Michela Lucenti / Balletto Civile. Alongside his performance work, he has developed a practice focused on sharing movement through contact improvisation, leading open-access workshops. Since 2016, he has collaborated with Festival Oriente Occidente as part of the international network for accessible dance.

 

LAURA MATANO/ DAVIDE TAGLIAVINI–Associazione XL | January 23, 24, 25, 2026

 

ASSOCIAZIONE XL is a well-established organization based in Reggio Emilia that offers artistic activities rooted in the principle of inclusivity—free of barriers and discrimination—open to contemporary forms of expression and accessible to all. Laura Matano is the founder of the XL Collective, a company born from a shared vision and the common desire to explore new creative frontiers—especially the intersection between movement and digital arts. She teaches projects focused on Danzability, where dancers with and without disabilities work together in integrated settings. In September 2003, she launched the very first Danzability project in collaboration with the City of Reggio Emilia. The workshop will be co-led by Davide Tagliavini, dancer, actor, and performer.

 

SUSANNA RECCHIA | February 20, 21, 22, 2026

 

She graduated from the Accademia Nazionale di Danza in Rome and began working professionally in Italy as both a dancer and teacher. Since 2001, she has been based in London, where she earned a Diploma and later a Degree in Dance Studies from Trinity Laban, receiving the Marion North Award as best performer. Her work as a freelance dancer and teacher has led her to collaborate with various internationally renowned artists and choreographers, performing in theatres and art galleries across Europe. As a dancer, she worked with Candoco Dance Company, performing in numerous productions and leading workshops at the international level.

 

JURI ROVERATO | March 19, 20, 2026

 

Dancer and certified DanceAbility instructor. In 2002, he graduated with honors in Philosophy from the University of Padua, earning a final grade of 110 cum laude with a thesis titled “Philosophy as Play in Ortega y Gasset.” He has practiced martial arts (Qwan Ki Do) and Contact Improvisation. In 2001, he took part in the first European DanceAbility teacher training seminar led by Alito Alessi, with the assistance of Laura Banfi, and became a certified instructor. Since then, he has participated in numerous DanceAbility projects and led workshops and courses for both children and adults, bringing his personal approach to schools, associations, CEOD centers, universities, and various organizations in Italy and abroad. In 2006, he performed in the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Paralympic Games in Turin. Since 2005, he has collaborated with many dance and theatre companies, including the renowned Candoco Dance Company based in London.

 

GAIA GERMANÀ

 

Dance educator and workshop facilitator, Gaia Germanà has led research paths focused on poetic gesture, involving non-professional participants of various ages and backgrounds. She served as assistant to choreographer Virgilio Sieni at the Venice Biennale Danza in 2013 and 2014, for the projects Agorà tutti and Danze per capire (working with blind dancers). She also collaborated with Emilia-Romagna Teatro on the projects Cena Pasolini, Brevi danze giovanili, and Ballo 1890_natura morta—performances based on encounters with people experiencing dance for the first time.
In this course, Gaia Germanà will oversee technical training throughout the program, supporting the lead facilitators and assisting participants in their learning journey.

IN-PERSON CLASSES

 

In-person activities will be led by artists, choreographers, and dancers who have developed their own models of artistic and expressive interaction with individuals in vulnerable conditions. Through hands-on workshops and simulations related to the topics covered in the modules, participants will gain skills through an experiential learning approach.

 

 

TESTIMONIALS

 

These are moments of exchange led primarily by disabled dancers/artists, researchers, and experts in cultural welfare who, in various capacities, operate within significant contexts where performative arts and well-being intersect, or who address key topics in this field.

These testimonials—included in each training module—will allow participants to engage with real-life examples, best practices, models, and strategies. The goal is to provide participants with valuable insights and knowledge to help expand and enrich their personal and professional toolkits.

 

PROJECT WORK

 

The activity is designed to support the development of each participant’s own specific methodological toolkit, to be applied in working with individuals in vulnerable conditions—whether in the context of an artistic creation process or a workshop experience.

The project will be defined in advance with the tutor, based on clearly agreed objectives, and will reflect insights gathered throughout the training modules. It will build upon the experiences shared by instructors and guest speakers, transforming them into practical, personalized resources.

The program is open to candidates who meet the following requirements:

 

  • Individuals who have already attended courses related to dance for people in vulnerable conditions and wish to refine their reference models and approach to performance;
  • Professionals with experience in the performing arts sector who are interested in issues related to disability, aging, and other forms of physical, psychological, or social fragility in the context of artistic and creative development, with the aim of designing new dance-based projects;
  • Dance teachers, dancers, or performing arts practitioners with experience in working with bodily fragility, seeking to deepen their tools for leading meaningful encounters between dance and the vulnerable body;
  • Professionals working in the field of cultural welfare.

 

Formal admission requirements

 

    • Completion of compulsory education and fulfilment of the right-duty to education and training;
    • Residency or domicile in the Emilia-Romagna region prior to registration;
    • Knowledge and skills in the performing arts sector, acquired through at least one of the following:
      • Work and professional experience in the performing arts;
      • Non-formal and informal training paths, including non-professional experiences;
      • Formal tertiary education consistent with the course content.

       

 

 

 

Substantial admission requirements

 

  • High school diploma (or equivalent);
  • English language proficiency at B1 level;
  • Previous experience in the sector;
  • Motivation for participation, expressed through a motivation letter or a digital self-presentation outlining personal and professional goals related to the program.

Having experience working with disability or vulnerable bodies—through participation in training initiatives aimed at fragile users or involvement in cultural welfare activities—is considered a preferential qualification.

Unemployed or inactive individuals are not eligible for admission.

Interested individuals must visit the website www.cnafoer.it and click the “VOGLIO ISCRIVERMI” (I WANT TO ENROLL) button. After providing their information, they will be contacted by the coordinator, Francesca Ranuzzini, who will send the enrollment form.

The completed application form, along with the required documentation, must be submitted by email to ranuzzini@cnafoer.it.

 

Application deadline: June 27, 2025

 

The verification of formal and substantial requirements will be carried out by the coordinator of CNA Formazione ER, who will assess eligibility for admission to the selection process—also with the support of the partner Centro Coreografico Nazionale / Aterballetto.

The selection process will be initiated and documented only if the number of eligible applicants exceeds the available places.

 

The selection procedure requires all candidates meeting the formal and substantial requirements to undergo a written test and an individual/motivational interview, with a combined weight not exceeding 50%.

The assessments will be evaluated by a Commission appointed by CNA Formazione ER, composed of an internal selection manager and representatives from CCN/ATERBALLETTO, who will specifically evaluate the technical aspects of the tests.

 

The written test, lasting 1 hour, will consist of questions on:

 

  • teaching methodologies in dance, live performance, or theatre

 

The Individual Interview (50%), lasting 15 minutes per candidate, aims to explore and understand:

 

  • Motivation for participating in the course;
  • Awareness of the professional role and alignment with the stated career goals;
  • Previous experience;
  • Organizational skills, ability to work in a team, and goal-oriented approach.

 

The results of the selection process will be notified via email. The ranking list will be published on the website www.cnafoer.it.

Admitted candidates will receive an invitation to attend the first day of training.

Participation Fee

Free

Duration

150 hours

Period

October 2025 – March 2026

Where

Centro Coreografico Nazionale / Aterballetto, via della Costituzione 39, Reggio Emilia (Italy)

Expected Number of Participants

12

Certificate issued

Certificate of attendance will be issued upon achieving at least 70% attendance of the required total hours.

Contact person for CNA FO.ER, Reggio Emilia office

Deadline

June 27, 2025

Registration form

Register here