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KÖRPER YOUNG
Professional Development Programme for the Stage
“For years, we have envisioned creating a core group of young dancers, aged 18 to 25, to train as professional dance artists. It is extremely challenging for graduates of the private dance schools in our region, Campania, to access professional opportunities. There are very few dance companies locally, and as a result they are often forced to leave the region to audition in Northern Italy or abroad in order to put into practice everything they have learned.”
Gennaro Cimmino | Founder of Körper
A project by Gennaro Cimmino,
with the coordination of Susanna Sastro and Flavio Ferruzzi
Since 2023, Körper Young has offered young dancers from the Campania region the opportunity to expand their artistic and professional skills through daily training, creative workshops, and live performances.
Conceived by Gennaro Cimmino and coordinated by Susanna Sastro and Flavio Ferruzzi, the programme provides a comprehensive educational and professional pathway lasting between four and eight months. Each edition involves a group of six to ten emerging artists, aged between 18 and 25.
In 2025, the project expanded through new multidisciplinary collaborations with institutions including the Academy of Fine Arts, Scalzabanda, and the Palizzi Dance High School, alongside performances organised in partnership with the Municipality of Naples and the city’s museums for cultural events, exhibitions, and inaugurations.
This initiative is part of the broader framework of activities that Körper has developed over the years to foster, promote, and support the growth of dance throughout the Campania region.
Training on the job
The programme offers an integrated training and professional development pathway lasting between four and eight months, involving a group of emerging artists aged 18 to 25. Combining daily training with professional practice, participants follow a full schedule ranging from morning technique classes to creative laboratories and specialist seminars, designed to strengthen every aspect of their artistic practice.
Paid Opportunities
The programme is entirely free of charge. Whenever selected participants perform as professional dancers, they are employed and remunerated in accordance with the Italian National Collective Labour Agreement (CCNL) for Permanent Theatres.
Professional training
Established choreographers from the national and international dance scene whose works are produced by Körper – National Dance Production Centre, alongside teachers from the Campania region and guest artists featured in the Centre’s programme, contribute to the curriculum through seminars, workshops, and the creation of original choreographic works.
Creative incubator
Körper Young also serves as an incubator for new choreographic languages, offering emerging choreographers from the Campania region the opportunity to develop and present original performances.
