Lara Ballarin

She began studying classical and contemporary dance in 1999 at the Centro Formazione Danza   under Francesca Serafin. In 2007, she attended Il Balletto school run by Mariolina Giarretta in Padua, following the academic program of A.I.D.A. She later studied with K. Bozza, R. Sartori, M. Milanese, G. Carbone, I. Sauri, A. Dalla Monica, F. Monteverde, G. Blanchard. In 2015, she took part in the professional improvement course Ofbeat.Lab at Padova Danza, directed by Gabriella Furlan Malvezzi. She has participated in numerous workshops, including one organized by Monica Casadei’s Artemis Danza company, as well as a contemporary technique and improvisation workshop with Dominique Mercy and Susanne Linke. In 2009, she was a dancer with the Chòrea Group, and in 2012 with The Simple Company, participating in productions such as *The Four Seasons* and *Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto in B-flat Minor*. In 2015, she performed in the show *Coreografie d’autore* by Valerio Longo and Michele Pogliani, and in 2016, she performed in *Italian Carnival* with I Musici Patavini in Changsha (China). In 2017, she danced excerpts from the Ensemble’s repertoire with choreographies by maestro Micha Van Hoecke. In 2018, she participated in the *Gala Musical* with Summertime Choir, with choreographies by Vittorio Matteucci and Chiara Luppi, and in the music video *Like a Shadow on the Earth* for the film *Sulle mie spalle* by director Antonello Bellucco. Currently, she dances for Nu’ Art Event and Cardinali Eventi.

Since 2018, she has been a member of Fabula Saltica.

Cassandra Bianco

She began her classical dance studies in 2001 with Toni Candeloro (étoile and director of the Balletto di Puglia), Eriberto Everardi (maître at the Arena di Verona Foundation), and Carlos Palacios (Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires and Director of the Teatro San Carlo in Naples). In 2006, she started studying contemporary dance with Claudia Giubilo, Giorgia Maddama (Contemporary Limon Technique), and Bruno Centola. In 2011, she deepened her knowledge of floor work and contemporary techniques at Peridance Capezio Center, Broadway Dance Center, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York. Since 2016, she has worked as a dancer and performer in various shows, including “Andrea Bocelli Concert” at the Teatro del Silenzio (2016), “140 Danza D’autore Zelig Cabaret” and “Isabella Rossini” at Villa Laetitia (2017), and “La Rana e le Nuvole” at the Festival della Valle d’Itria. She has also worked with the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company Rami Be’Er (Israel). In 2018, she participated in numerous workshops at Kibbutz Ga’aton in Israel. She alternates her dance activities with the Alphaztl company led by Vito Alfarano, Fabula Saltica under Claudio Ronda, and Kibbutz Ga’aton (Israel).

Since 2019, she has been a member of Fabula Saltica.

Melania Chionna

She studies classical, contemporary, and modern dance, character dance, yoga, rhythm, singing, and diction at the Accademia Tersicore in Brindisi, directed by Antonella Di Lecce. In 1998, she won a scholarship at the Accademia Princesse Grace in Monte Carlo and, in 2000, another scholarship at the Vienna State Ballet School. In 2001, she performed as a soloist with the Balletto di Puglia company under Toni Candeloro, and in 2002, she was a soloist with the Balletto del Sud company led by Freddy Franzutti. In 2004, she danced in the lyrical season at the Politeama Greco in Lecce in productions such as “Aida,” “Il Turco in Italia,” “The Magic Flute,” and “Andrea Chénier,” and that same year, she performed in Bizet’s “The Pearl Fishers” at the Teatro Euskalduna in Bilbao. In 2004, she also participated in the electronic opera “The Wings of Daedalus” by Maurizio Squillante in the cities of Rome, Taranto, Genoa, Perugia, and Turin. In the summer of 2005, with the Balletto del Sud, she played the lead role in the production “Shéhérazade.” That same year, she toured Italy with the show “Sleeping Beauty,” featuring Lindsay Kemp as Carabosse. In June 2006, she went on a tour of Vietnam with the show “Carosello Italiano,” and that year, she took part in several productions at the Teatro La Fenice. In 2007, she joined the corps de ballet as a soloist at the Arena di Verona.

Since 2008, she has been a member of the Fabula Saltica company.

Laura De Nicolao

Laura De Nicolao graduated from the Royal Academy of Dance in London in 2006, having previously studied at the Ballet Center in Padova. During her training, she received a scholarship to the Opus Ballet professional center in Florence for the 2004/05 year. She graduated from the DAMS program in Padova in 2008. After starting her professional career, she refined her contemporary dance skills through the international project directed by Ismael Ivo at the Venice Biennale in 2010/11. She has danced with companies such as Abc Balletto Classico led by Maurizio Bellezza and Michele Vegis, Leggere Strutture directed by Mattia Gandini, Venezia Balletto led by Sabrina Massignani, and Dufrayer Dance Company directed by Sylvio Dufrayer. In 2012, she performed with the Compagnia Fedora Award in the show “Butterfly Effect,” choreographed by Ismael Ivo. During the 2014/16 seasons, she was a dancer for the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf (Germany) and performed Karl Shreiner’s choreographies. She balances her career as a dancer with roles as a choreographer and teacher. Notable competition wins include Danza in Vetrina 2015 with the piece “Io sono,” and the Concorso città di Verona 2016 with “L’attraversamento del sole,” awarded for best choreography. Her latest work, “Timeless Passion,” has been presented at various Italian festivals. Since 2002, she has been teaching classical, modern, contemporary, and hip hop dance at various centers in Veneto. Since 2015, she has been a teacher in the “Biennale Educational” project at the Venice Biennale. Since 2013.

Since 2013, she has been a member of the Fabula Saltica company.

Federica Iacuzzi

She began studying classical dance at the age of 6 at the Centro Studi Danza in Rovigo. From the age of 14, she participated in workshops at the Scuola di Balletto Classico Cosi-Stefanescu. Since 1997, she has attended classical dance workshops with teachers Oriella Dorella and Margarita Smirnova, and important advanced courses in contemporary dance with Inaky Azpillaga (assistant to Wim Vandekeybus), Cesc Gelabert, and Khosro Adibi. In 2007, she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Arts of Image, Music, and Performance (Theater and Performance) from the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy in Ferrara, and later pursued a degree in Live Performance Studies at the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy in Bologna. Since 2001, she has danced with the corps de ballet at the Teatro Sociale di Rovigo in works by G. Verdi such as “Aida,” “Rigoletto,” “Nabucco,” and “Otello,” as well as leading roles in “Die Matthäus-Passion,” choreographed by Ismael Ivo, and “Oltre i confini,” choreographed by Vito Alfarano (2007). That same year, she danced in the corps de ballet in “La Vedova Scaltra” by E.W. Ferrari at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice. In 2011, she won the Grand Prix for the duet “Paolo e Francesca,” alongside Vito Alfarano, at the International Contemporary Choreography Competition in Lodz (Poland), with V. Malakov as the jury president.

Since 2000, she has been a member of the Fabula Saltica dance company.

Since 2016, she has served as an assistant for productions and choreography.

Manolo Perazzi

Born in Teramo on October 9, 1988. During his training, he studies modern dance, classical dance, and artistic gymnastics. In 2009, he joined the Balletto di Toscana Junior under Cristina Bozzolini, and in 2010, he became a member of the company L’Abruzzo fa Spettacolo led by Giorgio Mancini. He deepened his knowledge of contemporary techniques at the CFP of Electa Creative Arts, directed by Eleonora Coccagna. He has worked as a performer with numerous Italian and international companies, including: Gruppo e-Motion with Francesca La Cava, Collettivo Nada with Antonello Tudisco, Andrea Gallo Rosso, AIEP with Ariella Vidach, Balletto Teatro di Torino with Loredana Furno, Artemis Danza with Monica Casadei, Irene K with Irene Kalbush, Nexus with Simona Bertozzi, Asmed Balletto di Sardegna with Massimiliano Leoni, IDEM with Clément Bugnon and Matthias Kass, C&C with Carlo Massari, and Arterie Teatro with Monica Ciarcelutti. Alongside his career as a dancer, he has also pursued a path as a dance author, being featured in numerous national and international festivals and theater seasons.

Since 2021, he has been a member of the Fabula Saltica company.

Claudio Pisa

He studied and graduated from the Centro Regionale della Danza Lyceum in Naples under Mara Fusco and joined the Balletto di Napoli, performing in various productions such as “Par una chaud,” “Le Fiabe Danzate,” and “The Unconscious.” In 2007, he attended the training and advanced course at École Superieur de Danse de Cannes – Rosella Hightower, directed by Monique Loudières. After initial experiences with classical ballet, he worked with the contemporary dance company Korper. However, it was with La Biennale di Venezia, participating in the international project “Arsenale della Danza 2010, The Art of Performer,” that he fully dedicated himself to contemporary dance. There, he studied and trained with internationally renowned teachers. In 2011, he was invited by La Biennale di Venezia’s director, Ismael Ivo, to again participate in the Arsenale della Danza project as a dancer particularly deserving of recognition from the 2010 project. In 2012, he served as an assistant to Ismael Ivo for La Biennale di Venezia’s Arsenale della Danza 2012 productions, the “Butterfly Effect” for the Tones on the Stones festival in Verbania (VB), and for the ImPulsTanz 2012 festival in Vienna. Since 2016, he has been a teacher for Biennale Educational, a project of La Biennale di Venezia, for contemporary dance workshops. As a choreographer, he created the choreography “ABEND” in collaboration with Stadttheater Gießen in 2014. With this choreography, he was among the ten choreographers selected to participate in the CortoinDanza 2014 choreography competition in Cagliari. In 2014, he also created the choreography for the theatrical production “Faust” for the TAF theater in Bad Nauheim (Germany). In 2015, he co-created the choreography “Timeless Passion” with Laura de Nicolao, which was featured in numerous Italian festivals and theaters. In 2022, he created the choreography “Delirante Tenerezza,” a performance produced by Fabula Saltica.

Since 2011, he has been a member of the Fabula Saltica company.

Antonio Taurino

Chiara Tosti

She began studying dance in 1999 in Umbertide at the Centro Studi Danza, directed by Maria Paola Fiorucci. During her training, she participated in numerous seminars and workshops led by internationally renowned teachers and dancers. A recipient of prestigious scholarships, she attended the Boston Ballet Summer Dance Program 2011 (Massachusetts) and the Joffrey Ballet Summer Dance Program 2012 (New York) during the summer. In 2013, she began her studies at Codarts Hogeschool Voor De Kunsten (Rotterdam, Netherlands), specializing in contemporary dance. From September 2015 to May 2017, she was part of the youth company Agora Coaching Project under the direction of Michele Merola and Enrico Morelli. Through this project, she performed in various Italian theaters, interpreting choreographies by prominent choreographers. In 2017, she worked with the Mandala Dance Company, directed by Paola Sorressa.

Since 2018, she has been a member of the Fabula Saltica company.