ConFormazioni – Festival of Dance and Contemporary Languages

A festival for the body and its languages

ConFormazioni – Festival of Dance and Contemporary Languages is one of the most recognizable events in the Southern Italian choreographic landscape. Founded in 2017 in Palermo by choreographer Giuseppe Muscarello and the Muxarte Association, the festival has grown year after year into a permanent laboratory dedicated to contemporary dance, performance, and body arts in the capital of Sicily.

The festival stems from a desire to establish Sicily as a cultural hub capable of hosting a dance festival worthy of its artistic tradition. In just a few years, ConFormazioni has built a network of collaborations with theaters, galleries, museums, and independent spaces, weaving together production, training, and outreach.

The venues: Palermo as a scattered stage

The beating heart of the event is the Cantieri Culturali alla Zisa, particularly the Spazio Franco, but the festival has always adopted a scattered stage formula: shows and performances take place in symbolic city locations, including museums, contemporary art galleries, and cultural spaces. This approach turns Palermo into an itinerary where dance engages with the architecture, heritage, and urban fabric of the city.

Programming and training

ConFormazioni complements its performance schedule with intense training activities: workshops and labs led by guest artists, open to professionals, educators, social workers, and the curious alike. Alongside evening shows, there is space for participatory performances, sound experiments, and public meet-and-greets.

• Performances by Italian and international companies, including artists recognized by the Premio Ubu, the most prestigious theater and dance award in Italy.
• Workshops and labs on dance and Dance Movement Therapy.
• Participatory performances and site-specific projects across the city.
• Encounters with choreographers, dancers, and industry professionals.

A contemporary vocation

Supported by the Sicilian Region, the Municipality of Palermo, and the Ministry of Culture, ConFormazioni is now one of the main strongholds of contemporary dance in Southern Italy. Its identity as a multidisciplinary festival—capable of connecting the body, music, visual arts, and urban space—makes it a highly anticipated event for enthusiasts, professionals, and new audiences alike, serving as a vital piece of the cultural offering in the Province of Palermo and all of Sicily.