In October 2012, on the occasion of the inauguration of the new headquarters, Balletto di Roma began a renewal process of its artistic educational activity for young performers by entrusting the artistic direction of the School of Balletto di Roma to Paola Jorio. Having always promoted the talent as well as being an undisputed spokesperson for entire generations of students, Paola Jorio has returned to offer her experience to the company in which she perfected her career as a dancer and teacher. Having already been the director for almost twenty years of the Dance School of Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Paola Jorio has found in Balletto di Roma the great Walter Zappolini, founder, together with Franca Bartolomei of the historic company in 1960 and its artistic director until 2015. The partnership between Zappolini and Jorio has returned again in the name of an excellent educational project that will be able to help the students facing the challenges of the current globalised world of ballet. In line with the new educational orientation proposed by Miur (Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca), Afam sector (Alta Formazione Artistica, Musicale e Coreutica), the School of Balletto di Roma aims to complete an educational frame with study modules that are fitting to the current reform for Accademia Nazionale di Danza by enriching it with internship programmes, intensive workshops and first professional experiences. Together with the renewal of the educational activities, the School further promotes the dancers’ training by having chosen, for the construction of the very new headquarters in Piazza San Giovanni De La Salle 3/5, the best architectural solutions specifically tailored for dancing spaces. In a 750 square meters space, the Cafelab studio has created an excellent architectural project by guaranteeing avant-garde systems and materials in order to create the ideal space for the training of students and professionals. The six rooms, the ample windows, the exquisite attention towards the thermal and acoustic comfort and, most of all, the elastic floors for dancing, built by Harlequin Europe SA, contribute to the creation of an unique and exclusive habitat for the School of Balletto di Roma, who has always strived to look at the future together with its new generations of dancer. The headquarters is close to St. Peter’s Basilica and is easily reachable with Metro A – Cornelia exit.

Educational Offer

Balletto di Roma guarantees an excellent educational path to the young students thanks to the accuracy and professionalism of the director Paola Jorio , who, following her experience in assisting to the creation of entire generations of étoiles and soloists of the School of Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, is still contributing today to the training of tomorrow’s dancers. Since its establishment up until today, the School of Balletto di Roma still regards the academic classical dance as the essential foundation of the studies for all the students that want to mould their technique and their bodies according to the highest reference models of today’s ballet. Together with the in-depth study of the classical academic technique, the School is also focussed towards the exploration and knowledge of those new languages of modern and contemporary dance that are the main feature of many productions of Balletto di Roma and that make the company one of the most important realities in the current Italian dance scene for the quality proposed and the success amongst the public. In order to reach its goals, in line with the current professional selection criteria, besides the daily offer of classical technique courses with the highly skilled and experiences teachers of the school, the School also further promotes the educational and training exchange by periodically hosting guest teachers of the most important European dance schools, such as École de Danse de l’Opéra national de Paris, the Ballettakademie der Wiener Staatsoper and the Scuola di Ballo del Teatro alla Scala di Milano. Being the dance company in the same building of the school, the student that decides to enrol at Balletto di Roma is able to witness the creation and production of a vast choreographic repertoire and to experience first hand the professional reality of a dance company. Such opportunity, together with the pairing of contemporary styles with the usual study of ballet, allows the educational activity of Balletto di Roma to become an important, complete and unique experience for the growth and development of the young students in an unlimited artistic path and towards the current globalised world of ballet. Balletto di Roma has chosen to root its philosophy in the educational offer of the best classical training as the base and foundation of possible future opportunities for employment in the current varied and demanding professional world. Consistent with the current demand for eclecticism and versatility by the most important national and international companies, Balletto di Roma follows and assists its students during a journey of progressive discovery and development of talents and predispositions by providing them with the most adequate instruments for their future artistic, technical and cultural growth.