Founded in 1928, the Dance School of the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma is one of the oldest and most prestigious in Italy, together with that of la Scala in Milan and San Carlo of Naples. In 1951 Luchino Visconti chose the Dance Shool to film some of the scenes of the film Bellissima, one of his masterpieces which included an extraordinary performance by Anna Magnani.
Established with the precise objective to train young professionals as new members of the theatre’s Ballet Corps, the School, in Via Ozieri, accepts children and adolescents aged between nine and sixteen years.
Many illustrious names from the world of dance and choreography have directed the School, from Ileana Leonidoff and Dimitri Rostov to Teresa and Placida Battaggi, from Attilia Radice to Walter Zappolini, from Alberto Testa to Elisabetta Terabust and Paola Jorio. The current director of the school is Laura Comi.
Among its alumni are étoiles and primi ballerini of the Teatro dell’Opera, from Terabust and Raffaele Paganini to Laura Comi and Mario Marozzi.