History

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Baridanza was founded in 1996 as an initiative dedicated to promoting young dance talent and providing a meeting point for schools, teachers and choreographers from all over Italy. Since its first edition, the aim has been to create a real festival that combines competition, training and performance, allowing participants to compete in an atmosphere of artistic growth and sharing.

Over the years, the event has grown to become a landmark event for Southern Italy, attracting hundreds of dancers, teachers and enthusiasts. During the festival in Bari, dance takes centre stage in all its forms: from classical to modern, contemporary to hip-hop, musicals and show dance. This openness to all forms of movement has made Baridanza a dynamic and inclusive event that values diversity as a strength.

Over the years, the event has grown to become a landmark event for Southern Italy, attracting hundreds of dancers, teachers and enthusiasts. During the festival in Bari, dance takes centre stage in all its forms: from classical to modern, contemporary to hip-hop, musicals and show dance. This openness to all forms of movement has made Baridanza a dynamic and inclusive event that values diversity as a strength.

Baridanza non è solo un concorso, ma anche un’esperienza formativa. Ogni anno vengono assegnate borse di studio e premi che offrono ai vincitori l’opportunità di perfezionarsi presso accademie e compagnie prestigiose, come il Ballet de Catalunya o l’Opus Ballet. Questo legame con le realtà internazionali conferma la vocazione del festival a fungere da trampolino di lancio per chi sogna di trasformare la danza in una professione.

Baridanza is not just a competition, but also an educational experience. Every year, scholarships and prizes are awarded, offering winners the opportunity to hone their skills at prestigious academies and companies, such as the Ballet de Catalunya and Opus Ballet. This connection with the international scene confirms the festival's vocation as a springboard for those who dream of turning dance into a profession.

Now in its 29th edition in 2025, Baridanza continues to be a symbol of passion, commitment and artistic rebirth. Supported by the Italian Sports Centre and local institutions, it is now one of the longest-running and most significant events in the sector in Italy, capable of keeping its original spirit intact: celebrating dance as art, discipline and a meeting of souls in motion.

Anbeta

Danza

Anbeta Toromani is an Albanian dancer and dance teacher naturalised Italian. Runner-up of the second edition of the talent show Amici di Maria De Filippi, Toromani has been prima ballerina in numerous international and Italian theatres, including at the National Opera and Ballet Theatre in Tirana, the Slovakian National Theatre, the San Carlo Theatre in Naples, the Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele in Palermo and at Sferisterio of Macerata.

Throughout her career, she has been choreographed and directed by Pier Luigi Pizzi, Alessandra Celentano and Dante Ferretti, Gheorghe Iancu, David Garforth, Roland Petit, Luigi Bonino, Fabrizio Monteverde, Ljudmila Semenjaka, Michail Lavrovskij, Amedeo Amodio.

In July 2023 he performed in Preludes for Juliet, directed and choreographed by Massimo Moricone at the Roman Theatre in Verona. In July 2024 he was present at the Florence Dance Performing Arts Festival a Firenze e madrina del La Nuit desÉtoiles a Olbia.

Gilliam Bruce

Modern

THEATRE - (choreographer)
La Lustige Witwe ( Teatro alla Scala), Bailo Bailo (Spagna), Phantom of the Opera (Webber/Mackintosh) (Italia/Spagna), Once(Italia),Kinky Boots(Spagna) Nine, Charlie and the chocolate factory (Italia,Spagna), Mary Poppins (Disney Mackintosh) Newsies(Disney), Dirty Dancing(Italia,Inghilterra (West end),Germania,Spagna,Austria,Monte Carlo,Messico,Belgio, Lussemburgo,Francia,),Cabaret, Edizione Speciale 20° Anniversario di Grease,Cercasi Cenerentola, Frankenstein Junior ,Happy Days ,High School Musical(Disney) ,Grease, Sugar-A Qualcuno Piace Caldo , La Piccola Bottega Degli Orrori ,Annie, Next To Normal,Something Rotten. West Side Story, Ragtime, Bernada Alba ,Evita  ,Titanic , Kiss of a Spider Woman, Chicago, Nine, Lucky Stiff ,The Wild Party, Crazy For You, Robin Hood ,Anything Goes, All Shook Up,Footloose, Witches of Eastwick, Peter Pan,, Toc Toc A Time For Musical,

Giorgio Camandona

Musical

Work Experience (PERFORMER)

2024 artist for ‘Il Ballo del Doge’ in Venice, Riyadh, Dubai.

2022/’23 Is Kenickie in Grease, Compagnia della Rancia, directed by S.Marconi, choreographed by G.Bruce

2021/’22 Is Six Strings in “Pretty Woman‘the musical, at the Teatro Nazionale in Milan, directed by Carline Brouwer and Chiara

2018 He plays Peter Pan again in the musical of the same name “ Peter Pan “but this time totally in English for the performances held at the Royal Opera House in Muscat, Oman, MM productions, directed by M. Colombi, choreography by R. Pivano.

2016/’17 Is Peter Pan in the national tour of the musical of the same name ‘Peter pan’ with music by Edoardo Bennato directed by M.

2012/’13/’14 He is in the cast of " Frankenstein Jr." the musical - ensemble - Compagnia della Rancia directed by S. Marconi and M.Iacomelli.

2012/’13/’14 Is Dave e dance-captain in “ Replay" the musical, directed by M. Simone

2009 He participated as a dancer in the final episodes of ’X FACTOR”

Dorian Grori

Musical

Course of Studies
1991/1999 studies at the Tirana Ballet Academy
1999 diploma from the same school
2008 - Higher vocational training course with the AssociationClassical Ballet proclaimed by the Emilia Romagna

Artistic work experience
1999/2001 participates in all the repertoire and new creations of the Tirana Ballet and in all the tours abroad, in the following ballets: GISELLE - Adam-Perrault: Albrecht, BELLA ADDORMENTATA - Ciaikovski-Petipa: Bluebird, CARMEN - Bizet- The Lieutenant, ESMERALDA - Fists- Perraut: The Poet, SCHIACCIANOCI - Ciaikovski-Russian classical: THE PRINCE, ROMEO AND JULIETTA - Prokofiev- Romeo

2000 to date works in the Classical Ballet Company Cosi-Stefanescuparticipates in all the Company's repertoire and new creations, as well as in all the tours abroad.

Mary Molfese

HIP HOP

She is a multifaceted dancer with international experience ranging from television in both Italy and France) to numerous concerts with world famous artists such as Gue Pequeno, Marco Mengoni, Elodie, Era Istresi, Tayna and many others. He has also worked in music videos and commercials.

Fritz Zamy

HIP HOP

One of the best known faces on the Italian and international Urban Dance scene.
For years, it has contributed through stages, workshops, events and shows, to the growth of street dance and the dissemination of HOUSE DANCE culture on the Italian and international scene.

Creator and coordinator of numerous events. HOUSE DANCE EUROPE the first and largest house dance camp in Europe.

Founding member of the TREE BOO DANCERS crew,
guests at MNN in NEW YORK, SESSION 2 STYLE in PARIS and TOKYO.

Choreographer of the video clips of many international artists, JAMES SENESE, OLIVIA TRUMMER, to name but a few.

Roman Froz

HIP HOP

In 2004, he moved to Milan and joined the Bandits crew, with whom he won a number of national competitions and with whom he has performed in commercials, music videos, TV shows and other international events over the years.

He was choreographer, external teacher and external judge of the talent show Amici di Maria De Filippi in the 2018/19, 2019/20, 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 editions.

In November 2022, he curated the choreographic section of The Art of Fighting 2, a Lombardy event dedicated to boxing and kickboxing, also performing with the Bandits.


In April 2023 and 2024, Froz organised the Italian breakdance Battle School championships in Trezzano, for qualification for the discipline's world championships in France.

Luciano Cannito

Committee Chairman

Luciano Cannito is currently Artistic Director of the TEATRO ALFIERI and the TEATRO GIOIELLO in Turin, of the ART VILLAGE Academy and of the ROMA CITY BALLET COMPANY and ROMA CITY MUSICAL. He is President of the NAPLES NATIONAL THEATRE and a member of the SIAE Supervisory Board.

He has created more than 60 ballets including MARCO POLO, CASSANDRA, AMARCORD, ROMEO AND GIULIETTA, FIVE SEASONS, MARE NOSTRUM, BARBIE'S WORLD, CENERENTOLA, ROMEO, CARMEN (box office hit in Italy 2010/2011), VIVA VERDI, JULIET, IL PADRINO.

Luciano Cannito has signed productions with Lucio Dalla and Roberto De Simone and has worked with top stars of the dance and opera scene. Since 2015, he has started a collaboration with the prestigious Bolshoi Academy in Moscow.

THE PARMA BALLET

The Parma Ballet was born out of a strong desire to offer young dancers a bridge to the professional world. The main mission of the Balletto di Parma is to prepare its talented young dancers for professional careers in the world's most prestigious companies. The company serves as a conduit to transform students into professional dancers of the highest level and versatility.

AMILCAR & VIRGINIA

Born in Havana in 1977, he studied at the National Ballet School of Cuba. He has danced as principal dancer on numerous European stages such as the Bavarian State Ballet, Les Ballettes De Monte-Carlo, Zurich Ballet and The Hamburg Ballet[1]. He has also danced principal roles in Brazil, the United States and Mexico in works such as Coppélia, La fille mal gardée, The Nutcracker and Le Corsaire. His prizes and awards include a gold medal at the Concours International de la danse in Paris in 1996 and a bronze medal at the Helsinki International Ballet & Choreography Competition in 1995. Since 2009, he has been working as a professional dancer and ballet teacher on the TV show Amici di Maria De Filippi, a role that brought him notoriety in Italy. In 2016, he was a freelance principal dancer and danced alongside Rossella Brescia in Luciano Cannito's Carmen and Cassandra. He is currently first dancer at Theater Kiel and guest principal dancer at the Hamburg Ballet.

STEFI XHALJ

She graduates as a professional dancer from the Choreographic School of Albania in 2020) from 2022 she joins the Advanced Training and Choreographic Workshop for Dancers, New Classical Ballet

He participates in numerous shows and performances such as:

Coreografie classiche e contemporanee (Recitals of Choreographic School of Albania, 2013-2019),

La Sylphide, Giselle, Il lago dei cigni (Teatro Nazionale dell'Opera e del Balletto di Albania, 2019-2020),

Il lago dei cigni, La bella addormentata, Dancebook, Quattro stagioni in diverse stagioni, Pure Sensations, Una Carmen, Don Chisciotte, Lo schiaccianoci, L'arte di Marinel Stefanescu (Nuovo Balletto Classico, Italia 2021-2024),

Swan Lake and The Nutcracker (New Classic Ballet in cooperation with Grand Classic Ballet Traditional Winter Tour, Germany 2022-2023).