Iuno Sospita Award

A dance competition in the shadow of a goddess

The Iuno Sospita Award takes its name from the protective deity of ancient Lanuvium, whose sanctuary dominated these hills as far back as the Latin and Roman eras. This is no mere decorative detail: the entire event is built on the idea of creating a dialogue between contemporary dance and a thousand-year-old history, bringing dozens of young dancers to perform in one of the most evocative settings in the Municipality of Lanuvio, in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, in the Lazio region.

Conceived by the municipal administration in collaboration with the Centro Culturale Danza of Lanuvio, the competition debuted in July 2025 as part of the project « Villa Sforza between myth and reality », supported by the Lazio Region. The success of the debut led to the second edition in 2026, now recognized as a benchmark event in the national dance scene.

Villa Sforza Cesarini, the stage

The venue is the 18th-century Villa Sforza Cesarini, with its park and monumental spaces that become an open-air theater in summer. This is where rehearsals, masterclasses, competition phases, and the final Gala take place: a setting that gives the competition a character distinct from standard indoor arenas, with the audience gathered among historical architecture and greenery.

Competition sections

The competition is national and organized by discipline and age group to ensure fair comparison between similar training levels.

• Classical dance
• Modern dance
• Contemporary dance
• Choreographic composition

Categories range from Baby (7-9 years) to Children (10-11), Students (12-14), Junior (15-17), and Senior (18-25). Participants can compete as soloists, in pas de deux, or in groups, and each edition attracts schools from numerous Italian regions.

Training before competition

The hallmark of the Award is the emphasis placed on the educational aspect. Alongside the competitions, masterclasses are held by the jury members themselves, and the main awards are scholarships designed as concrete tools to break down barriers to accessing elite dance training. The artistic direction is entrusted to Floriana Galieti, who has led the Centro Culturale Danza since 1996 and has repeatedly emphasized that the most important value remains the educational one: offering young people an environment for exchange and growth.

An internationally renowned jury

The panels bring together established teachers and choreographers. In the first edition, judges included Gerardo Porcelluzzi — a teacher at the Rome Opera House Dance School and the Teatro alla Scala Academy — and Kristian Ratevossian. In 2026, the jury included Riccardo Ciarpella, Clarissa Mucci, Michael Fuscaldo, Francesca Romana Di Maio, and Gregor Hatala, former principal dancer of the Vienna State Opera.

Networks and patronage

The event relies on a network that strengthens its reach beyond regional borders: the patronage of ASI — Associazioni Sportive Sociali Italiane and ADI — AssoDanza Italia, and international collaborations such as the VIBE (Vienna International Ballet Experience) and the Conservatory of Portugal. For the young competitors, this means the opportunity to be noticed by training institutions that extend far beyond the Castelli Romani.

Why it is worth attending

The Iuno Sospita Award offers a dual opportunity: for families and dance enthusiasts, three days of high-level performances just a few kilometers from Rome; for those visiting the Castelli Romani, a pretext to discover Lanuvio, its historic center, the sanctuary of Juno Sospita, and the local wine production. The final Gala, in particular, is the most accessible evening even for those who do not regularly follow the dance world: a selection of the best numbers from the three days, complete with the awarding of scholarships and special prizes.