Novara Dance Experience
International dance competition and star-studded Grand Gala at the Teatro Coccia
About Novara Dance Experience
The dance festival that illuminates Novara
Founded in 2018, the Novara Dance Experience has grown into a benchmark event for the dance world in Italy and beyond. Every spring, the prestigious Teatro Coccia in Novara, located in the heart of Piedmont, transforms for a few days into the Italian capital of dance, hosting an international competition that attracts young talent from all over the world alongside a parade of global ballet stars.
A top-tier international competition
The heart of the festival is the competition, divided into several categories: classical and character dance, modern dance, and contemporary dance. Entry is by rigorous video selection, and the finals take place on the Teatro Coccia stage before juries composed of internationally renowned masters. Over the years, the event has seen over 7,000 participants, more than 350 selected schools, and has awarded over 200 scholarships and job contracts—numbers that make the Novara Dance Experience a true launchpad for young dancers' careers.
Masterclasses and auditions with great masters
Alongside the competitions, the program offers a rich calendar of masterclasses and auditions held by leading figures on the international scene, providing a precious opportunity for training and direct contact with directors of prestigious companies and schools such as the Paris Opera and the Joffrey Ballet School.
The Grand Gala of stars
The most anticipated moment is the closing Grand Gala, an evening of pure emotion where competition winners share the stage with some of the world's most famous ballet stars, hailing from theaters such as the Paris Opera, the Berlin Staatsballett, the Dutch National Ballet, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, and the Teatro alla Scala. A true parade of stars that brings the event to a spectacular close.
A locally supported event
The Novara Dance Experience is made possible thanks to the support of the Piedmont Region, in collaboration with the Municipality of Novara and in co-production with the Fondazione Teatro Carlo Coccia, with the contribution of the Monte Rosa Chamber of Commerce and the Fondazione Banca Popolare di Novara. An event that brings cultural excellence of international appeal to Novara, the capital of the homonymous Piedmontese province.
Novara Dance Experience — edition 2026
L'VIII edizione del Novara Dance Experience ha confermato la manifestazione come uno degli appuntamenti più importanti della danza in Italia. Tra il 30 maggio e il 1° giugno si sono tenuti i concorsi nelle categorie di danza classica e di carattere, danza moderna e danza contemporanea, valutati da tre giurie per un totale di dieci professionisti di altissimo livello. Madrina dei concorsi, come da tradizione, Anna Maria Prina. Il programma ha incluso anche masterclass e audizioni con maestri di fama, tra cui le audizioni per la Joffrey Ballet School. La settimana è culminata nel Gran Galà di venerdì 5 giugno al Teatro Coccia, con la partecipazione di celebri étoile internazionali.
Programme Novara Dance Experience 2026
30 – 31 maggio e 1° giugno — Concorsi, masterclass e audizioni
Tre giornate di gare al Teatro Coccia nelle categorie danza classica e danze di carattere, danza moderna e danza contemporanea, con accesso tramite selezione su video. Le finali sono state valutate da tre giurie per un totale di dieci professionisti: Anna Maria Prina (madrina), Wilfried Romoli, Dario Elia, Beatrice Sebelin, Michela Boschetto, Mauro Astolfi, Katharina Christl, Ruben Martin, Meg Paul Neville e Ludovico Pace.
- Lezioni di danza classica con Ruben Martin e Wilfried Romoli
- Audizioni per la Joffrey Ballet School con la direttrice Meg Paul Neville
- Workshop coreografico con Mauro Astolfi
5 giugno — Masterclass e Gran Galà
Due masterclass con Elisabeth Platel, direttrice dell'École de Danse de l'Opéra National de Paris. In serata, alle 20.30, il Gran Galà al Teatro Coccia.
Ospiti del Gran Galà
- Maia Makhateli — principal dancer del Dutch National Ballet
- Andrea Sarri — premier danseur del Balletto dell'Opéra di Parigi
- Iana Salenko e Dinu Tamazlacaru — principal dancers dello Staatsballett Berlin
- Jacopo Bellussi — principal soloist de Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo ed étoile del Ballet du Capitole
- Romina Contreras — principal soloist de Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo
- Claudio Coviello — primo ballerino del Teatro alla Scala
La serata è stata condotta da Anbeta Toromani insieme al direttore artistico Francesco Borelli.
Highlights Novara Dance Experience 2026
Prices Novara Dance Experience 2026
Practical information — Novara Dance Experience
Location
Teatro Coccia, Via Fratelli Rosselli 47, 28100 Novara (NO), Piedmont. Competitions, masterclasses, auditions, and the Grand Gala take place at the theater in the heart of the city.
How to get there
Novara is well-connected by train (Novara station on the Turin-Milan line) and is reachable by car via the A4 Turin-Milan and A26 motorways. The Teatro Coccia is located in the historic center, a short distance from the station.
Tickets and registration
Registration for the competition is via video selection through the official website. Tickets for the Grand Gala are available at the Teatro Coccia box office. For information: dancexperience.it.
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Where does it take place — Novara Dance Experience
Teatro Coccia
Via Fratelli Rosselli 47, 28100 Novara