PID - Rieti International Dance Prize

A historic competition in the heart of Lazio

The PID - Rieti International Dance Prize is much more than a contest: for over thirty years, it has made the capital of the Sabina region a landmark for young European dancers. Founded in 1991 by Piero Fasciolo, who passed away in December 2023, the competition is now led by artistic directors Luna Ronchi and Simone Lolli and organized by the Dance Art Production & Events asd association, with the support of the Fondazione Varrone – Cassa di Risparmio di Rieti.

The venue is one of Italy's most beautiful: the Teatro Flavio Vespasiano, a 19th-century jewel in the historic center of Rieti, the capital city of the Lazio province of the same name. For a young student of dance, stepping onto that stage is a prize in itself.

How the competition works

The event spans several days of preliminaries, semi-finals, and finals, following a well-established structure:

• Soloists — classical and modern/contemporary sections, divided into three age groups (10-13, 14-16, 17 and over);
• Pas de deux — classical/neoclassical and modern/contemporary categories, unified from age 14;
• Choreographic composition — category B for ages up to 14 and category A for ages 15 and up, open to all styles.

Registration typically opens on December 1st and closes in mid-March, or sooner if the maximum number of participants is reached. Every year, over fifty schools arrive in Rieti, with dancers from all over Italy as well as Spain, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, France, Belgium, Slovenia, Poland, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and the United States.

A jury that also teaches

The unique feature of the PID lies in the dual role of the jurors: they do not just evaluate, but also hold lessons, masterclasses, and workshops open to the competitors. Recent years have seen names such as José Carayol (Head of Artistic Programmes at the Royal Ballet School in London), Luisa María Arias Ramiro (assistant to Nacho Duato), Marlena Wolfe (Introdans, Netherlands), François Petit (Royal Conservatory of The Hague), Tim Almaas (Oslo National Academy of the Arts), and Tobias Ehinger (Theater Dortmund). For young dancers, it is a rare opportunity to be seen by those who truly decide admissions to major academies.

Scholarships and professional opportunities

Alongside cash prizes, the PID awards scholarships and internships at top-tier institutions: the Royal Ballet School, the Nacho Duato Academy and Company, the Classical Ballet department of the Oslo National Academy of the Arts, the Introdans Company, Theater Dortmund, as well as invitations to the Youth Grand Prix. It is no coincidence that many former winners are now étoiles and principal dancers in opera houses across Italy and abroad.

Rieti and dance

The event attracts approximately 800 people daily, including competitors, teachers, families, and the public, providing a significant boost to local hospitality during the late April season, which is particularly pleasant for visiting the Sabina region. The Lazio city thus confirms a choreographic vocation that continues into the summer with the Rieti Danza Estate festival, also held at the Flavio Vespasiano.

Why it is worth attending

Even for those not competing, the PID is a spectacle: the final days and especially the Awards Gala offer a fast-paced sequence of classical variations, pas de deux, and contemporary choreographies of a level surprising for the performers' ages. It is a direct and sincere way to discover the dance of tomorrow, in a theater that is worth the trip all on its own.