Castellabate Dance Festival

A dance festival overlooking the Cilento sea

The Castellabate Dance Festival is an annual event held every July that transforms the town of Castellabate, in the Province of Salerno (Campania), into a landmark for dance in Southern Italy. For three days, dancers, students, and teachers arrive from all over the country to one of the most famous coastal villages in the Cilento region—a UNESCO World Heritage site overlooking the Gulf of Salerno—for an experience that blends study, professional networking, and performance.

Training in the morning, stage in the evening

The festival's structure rests on a precise balance between training and performance. Technical lessons take place in the evocative setting of Villa Matarazzo, a historic residence in Santa Maria di Castellabate, while Piazza Lucia becomes the vibrant hub for evening events, hosting the dance showcase and the final gala featuring prominent national guests.

The days are marked by workshops and masterclasses in various disciplines: classical, contemporary, modern, hip hop, and repertoire, with classes divided by level and age. It is a formula designed for young dancers, who can work closely with professionals usually only accessible in major cities.

Scholarships, the true engine of the festival

One of the aspects that most characterizes the Castellabate Dance Festival is the awarding of numerous scholarships during the lessons for excellence-driven dance academies and centers, both in Italy and abroad. It is therefore not just a simple summer workshop: for many students, participation can concretely open the door to a professional career, which explains why each edition attracts a growing number of participants.

Artistic direction

The artistic direction is entrusted to Marianna Lupo, from the local dance school «Progetto Danza», who selects the teachers and oversees the event's vision. The organization is managed by Lunaria Dance Project, a company based in Santa Maria di Castellabate specializing in the production of dance events in Italy. The festival is held under the patronage of the Municipality of Castellabate.

A growing project

• Promoting young talent: the festival is built around the artistic and personal growth of the students, rather than competition for its own sake.
• Awards and recognition: including the Tonina Passaro Award, presented during the evening events.
• Open to the public: the evenings in Piazza Lucia are free and highly anticipated by both tourists and residents.
• National reach: the festival has also brought its project to Danza in Fiera, with a dedicated stand and open classes.

Castellabate, the setting

It is hard to imagine a more photogenic backdrop: the medieval village of Castellabate, dominated by the Castello dell'Abate, and the marina of Santa Maria with its beaches and promenade. The town is part of the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park and has entered the Italian collective imagination thanks to cinema. For those participating in the festival, the holiday in Campania and the week of study naturally end up coinciding: lessons occupy the day, while the sea and the village alleys fill the rest of the time.

Who it is for

The Castellabate Dance Festival is aimed at students from dance schools, dancers already starting their professional careers, and teachers looking to update their skills. Non-dancing audiences, on the other hand, find the evening events in the square an easy and free way to get closer to dance: the dance showcase and the final gala offer a very varied panorama, from classical to contemporary and urban styles.