Rita Petrone has been a core faculty member at the Accademia dell’Arte for over 8 years. She first found out about the ADA from long-time friend and Dance Performance professor, Giorgio Rossi. Rita has taught contemporary dance for almost thirty years. For the past 20 years she has lead the formation of modern and contemporary dancers in Perugia and trained dancers who work in companies throughout Europe and the United States. She also established the Dance Gallery Association and Umbria Danza where she and her team organize events, festivals and seminars related to contemporary dance.

Q: What’s your favorite part of the dance program?
A: There are two moments that I particularly like: the first lesson with the dancers after they have arrived and the last one before they leave. I like to see how they have progressed, and how, in the end, they dance with a unique body awareness, bringing an added attention to detail – the little things – and how much of themselves are reflected in their dance: interpretation.
Q: What kind of dancer would be a great fit for the program?
A: The dancer must be open to new experiences, willing to get involved and to watch the dance from another point of view, not only physically and technically, but also conscious of the quality of movement, movement analysis, stage presence and interpretation.
To learn more about Rita’s life and work, her full bio can be found on our website here.