EstArte - Vico Equense Dance Festival

A thematic festival dedicated to dance in Vico Equense

EstArte - Vico Equense Dance Festival is the event that brings dance to the heart of Vico Equense every late summer. Located in the Metropolitan City of Naples, in the Campania region, the town overlooks the gulf between Mount Faito and the Sorrento Peninsula. Conceived and promoted by the l'Ecole de Danse ASD association with the patronage of the Municipality, the festival serves as a thematic platform for promoting dance: it is not just a series of shows, but a journey that weaves together training, critical reflection, and public performances.

The Cloister of the SS. Trinità e Paradiso as a stage

The core of the event is the Cloister of the SS. Trinità e Paradiso, one of the most charming spaces in the center of Vico Equense. Its arches, gardens, and the nearby Sala delle Colonne host galas, evening performances, meetings, and conventions. In past editions, the festival has also utilized other city venues, from the Aequa CineTeatroSpazioArte to the Sports Hall, and even Piazza Umberto I for more social gatherings: a widespread geography that turns dance into an opportunity for urban exploration.

The international workshop and instructors

The educational heart of EstArte is the international workshop, which gathers students and young professionals for a week of daily classes. The disciplines cover the entire spectrum of contemporary choreographic language:

• Classical ballet and repertoire, with instructors from major theaters
• Contemporary dance, historically under the artistic direction of Dino Verga
• Modern dance and American-style techniques
• Hip hop and urban styles
• Classes with live musical accompaniment

Over the years, the festival has hosted instructors from the National Dance Academy in Rome, the Rome Opera House, and the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, alongside choreographers and masters from foreign institutions. The closing gala traditionally features workshop participants performing alongside professional guests and includes the awarding of international scholarships.

Conferences and meetings: dance as culture

A significant part of the program is dedicated to discourse: conferences and meetings with critics, scholars, doctors, and psychologists address topics such as the relationship between dance and psychophysical well-being, inclusion and disability, and critical readings of the romantic repertoire. These moments are designed for a broad audience, not just professionals, and help make the festival a true cultural event.

Direction and organization

The artistic direction is led by Dino Verga, while the organizational direction is handled by Adele Balestrieri, head of the l'Ecole de Danse association in Vico Equense. The consistency of this team has allowed the festival to grow edition after edition and build stable relationships with Italian and European choreographic institutions, leading to exchange projects between different countries.

EstArte within "Vico d'Estate"

EstArte is part of the "Vico d'Estate" calendar, the program through which the Municipality of Vico Equense enlivens the town and its hamlets from late May to mid-September with concerts, theater, cinema, excursions, and gastronomic events. Visitors arriving for the dance festival will find a wider context of events, from summer film festivals to major food and wine celebrations in September, in one of the most popular tourist destinations on the Campanian coast.

Why it is worth attending

Attending EstArte means experiencing dance in a rare setting: an open-air historic cloister, just a few kilometers from Sorrento, with the audience seated under the arches and live music. For students, it is an opportunity to study with top-tier masters without leaving Campania; for spectators, it is a simple and welcoming way to approach contemporary choreographic language.