Francesco Nappa

Francesco came to Stuttgart to set Jiri Kylian’s “Double you”. I would peek into the rehearsals  and hope that I would catch a moment of Francesco moving. This guy can dance. He grabs your attention right away with his smooth, raw movement dynamic. It was great to watch.  He also had a great passion for the piece, which really showed in his explanations and corrections. He works deeply, but he likes to laugh. He was very sensitive to his surroundings and is a patient guy. He took class with the company every day, and he even attended my wife’s baby shower before my first son Noah was born. He brought cigars! That was cool.

Francesco came back to make a creation for the company called “Weird Fishes” to the music of Radiohead. I was not cast for the piece and I was back to peeking into the rehearsals. Then, one of the dancers in the piece got injured and I was chosen to replace her! I never imagined he would put a boy in the girls place. I felt lucky! Most of the movement had already been choreographed on the previous dancer, but Francesco adjusted the moves to fit my body. The piece was full of challenging musical phrases and fast paced. We were dead by the end… But the music was so good! It was like an engine driving you through the piece. It was great to move in his style. It was a very focused process, I loved it. He was easy going, but demanding. Quality over quantity. He pushed me to be better than the last run. He was full of energy and very honest.

Francesco is an amazing multi-talented artist. Aside from his choreography career, he also paints and composes music. I have heard his music and seen his paintings and I think both are as good as his dancing. It is all great work. A balance of ambition and sensitivity. He is a great artist.

Francesco was born in Napoli and trained at the Accademia Napoletana di Danza Classica, under the direction of Mara Fusco. During his studies he joined the “Balletto di Napoli” and soon after, he joined the senior class of the English National Ballet School under the Thomas Cook’s Scholarship. In 1992 he joined Les Ballets de Monte Carlo where he shortly was promoted to principal. In 2000 Francesco joined the Royal Danish Ballet in Copenhagen and two years later moved to Den Haag to Join The Nederlands Dans Theater. In 2005 he rejoined Les Ballets de Monte Carlo.

Francesco has worked, created and performed pieces by choreographers such as Karole Armitage, Ted Brandsen, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Nacho Duato, William Forsythe, André Gingras, Jacopo Godani, Johan Inger, Jiri Kylian, Jean-Christophe Maillot, Peter Martins, Ohad Naharin, John Neumeier, Kevin O’Day, Tim Rushton, Meryl Tankard and many others. Francesco has been awarded several prizes including the Galli d’oro 1991, the 1994 Leonide Massine Career Prize, Danza & Danza in 1998, Roscigno Danza in 2007 and the 2001 Svenage Larsen prize in Denmark. His career as a freelance artist started in 2008 with dancing, choreographing, coaching, painting and composing music. He was frequently invited to perform at several gala performances such as “Roberto Bolle & friends” among others and  teaches choreographic workshops throughout Europe.

Francesco has composed electronic music for known choreographers such as J.Godani (Disingenio), L.Timulak (Due a Due and Dear Reader), P.Delcroix (Equilibrium), V.Kunes (Twenty Questions and First Pages ), K.Ossola (Off Light), A.Salant (Alt i Alt). He has also composed for his own work in Play Ground, Backlash, Noi l’altra parte di me, Art von Blau, Faux Sans Blanc, Cromatismi, Hevea, Oltre il Riflesso, Identity, Prémices, Kuruka, and Under-Standing.

Francesco was invited in 2009 for the Italian Festival Danza D’Autore in collaboration with Körper Associazione Culturale to present a full evening of his work and for the Cannes Dance Festival 2009 where he presented his “Backlash”. In the same year he created “Pulcinella” for the Cannes Jeune Ballet, “Art Von Blau” for the Palucca Schule Dresden, and “Wierd Fishes” for the Gauthier Dance Company in Stuttgart. He created “Cromatismi ”  for the Balletto di Toscana in Florence who was premiered in Reggio Emilia in may 2010 , ”Hevea” for the Ballet D’Europe directed by Jean Charles Gil which was premiered for the opening of the Bolzano Dance Festival in July 2010 and “Shortcut” together with Lukas Timulak for the Reate Dance Festival in Rieti. In 2010 he created “Faux Sans Blanc” a video project that was presented at the International Video Festival at the PAN Museum in Napoli. A dance version of the piece was performed at the Italian Festival “Uomini& Danza” at the Teatro Nuovo in Napoli.

In 2011 he created  ”Oltre il Riflesso” for the Agora Coaching Project in Reggio Emilia and “Identity” for the Junior Ballet Geneve in Switzerland. In November 2011 Italy’s top contemporary dance company, Aterballetto,  premiered Francesco’s first full evening creation ”Alice nel Paese delle Meraviglie”, in Reggio Emilia were he collaborated with the  video designer Gilles Papain. In 2012 he created “Prémices” for the Jeune Ballet du CNSMD de Lyon, “Kuruka”  and ”Under-Standing” for Agora project in Reggio Emilia, “..d’une paume à l’autre” for the Amalfi International dance prize, and “Welcome on board” for Körper in Napoli for the Napoliteatrofestival Italia 2012.

In 2013 together with Gaetano Franzese, he directed his first Opera, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle for the Saarlandiches Staatstheater Saarbrücken in Germany. He also created “Quartetto” for the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma in italy , and “Catatumbo Lightning” for the Theater Ulm Germany.

Thank you, Francesco, for your inspiration! I look forward to the next time we work together.

When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? Did you always want to do what you’re doing now?

I  wanted to be a doctor…at least I remember that I loved to play doctor with my girlfriends…

Actually, My sisters were dancing and so I wanted to try it too.  At 9 years old I made my first step into a dance studio and I am still loving it!!!

Francesco’s Favorite Things

Favorite Things to eat?

Italian and Japanese food. My mom’s Cappelletti al ragù and  Passatelli in brodo… Agalie’s Carbonnade flammande

Favorite Books?

Oceano Mare from Alessandro Baricco. It’s about a painter who seeks the eyes of the ocean and to do that he paints with the sea water the same canvas every day, showing with his imagination different infinite ocean views, but the canvas will always be white…so he can continue painting…everyday…

Favorite Movies?

Action movies. Madison bridges, The English Patient, Life is Beautiful.

Favorite Dance Piece or Show/Musical or both?

Cirque Du Soleil…

I like dancers who….

…understand the vision of the choreographer and they work until they get there and go even further. also dancers that are passionate in whatever they do.

I am afraid of…

…that violence will never stop. That people will never take care of the beauty of this planet..

A dance piece should…

…not be boring.

Something you like to do other than choreographing?

Painting, composing, working on sceneography, cooking… actually I rarely stay still…

One of the happiest moments in your life?

When my sister had her first child. It was very difficult for her to have children and so all my wishes were concentrated on that for years.

One of your most unusual or coolest experiences?

I was dancing Balanchine’s “Agon” first trio with Princesses Caroline in the audience somewhere on tour with Les Ballets de Montecarlo. We start the trio then I go to start for the solo. I was suppose to jump in the silence and the music would start when I land. When I landed, the sound guy pushed the wrong button and played the girls duet music which was twice as long and I would say… more girly. I had 3 seconds of bad thoughts about that guy and then I decided to improvise (Balanchine style) for the whole music and nobody in the audiens ever reliazed…and the director was happy that I saved his.

One of the most embarrassing moments in your professional career?

I fell on the floor a couple of times during my dance career and every time I  was very very embarrassed.

Who has been the most influential person/people in your life? or Career? and why?

Many people, choreographers, painters, musicians, composers, etc. They all have inspired me…and so I hope they will also continue to tomorrow…

One of the hardest things about being a Performer?

Body pain after the show.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

I don’t like to see the future, but I hope I can continue creating as much as I can. Maybe in a dance studio or in a music studio or atelier or wherever I can be creative.

Three words to describe yourself….

I would say that I’m an easygoing passionate and a creative guy.

Dear aspiring artists,

Get inspired from whatever you see, whoever you are and wherever you wanna go.

–Francesco Nappa

Photo Journal

Quartetto – Opera di Roma – © Lelli e Masotti

Napoli

Backlash – Ballets de Montecarlo – © Marielaure Briane

Thinking of steps…

Alice in wonderland – Aterballetto Reggio Emilia – ©P.Laudicina

More info on Francesco at his website www.francesconappa.com. Have you seen Francesco perform? Or have you worked with him? Share your stories in the comments below!