Andrea Costanzo Martini is the winner of the eighth edition of CollaborAction. This biennial initiative by the Anticorpi XL Network awards a prize to support the creation of a new work by a mid-career choreographer who has distinguished themselves on the national scene in recent years through the artistic quality of their creative trajectory.
Announced during the closing night of the *Vetrina della giovane danza d’autore* (Showcase of Young Authorial Dance) – held in Ravenna from September 10 to 12 – the award grants Martini €16,500 to invest in his new project, “Moan*ing“. In addition to the cash prize, the initiative provides various forms of support for the work’s development: these range from creative residencies – which offer not only rehearsal space but also opportunities for feedback from industry professionals – to a national tour of the performance across the partner organizations’ showcases, festivals, and seasons.
After carefully evaluating the three finalists – “Hell is Empty” by the duo Panzetti/Ticconi, “GOOD VIBES ONLY (Royal Rumble)” by Francesca Santamaria, and “Moan*ing” by Andrea Costanzo Martini – the participating Anticorpi XL Network partners decided to award the prize to Martini. They recognized the strength and originality of his research, which draws inspiration from the figure of Moana Pozzi to explore themes such as the body, the gaze, desire, exposure, and power dynamics. The project reflects on the boundaries between self-determination and exploitation, freedom and manipulation, as well as the relationship between the person exposing themselves and the observer. It is a solid proposal – consistent with the artist’s career – that simultaneously opens up new possibilities for research and development within the creative process.
Andrea Costanzo Martini is an Italian choreographer and performer, born and raised in Piedmont. He has danced for the Batsheva Dance Company and Cullberg Ballet. Since 2013, he has created and performed his own works internationally; notable pieces include “What Happened in Torino” (First Prize at the Stuttgart Solo Dance Competition, 2013), “SCARABEO” (Aerowaves 2018), “Life in Lycra” (award-winner at RIDCC 2024), and “Pas de Cheval” (selected for the NID Platform 2026). He also creates works for companies such as NDCWales, MIR Dance Company, Conny Janssen Danst, and Tanz Bielefeld, among others. His choreographic language blends extreme physicality with theatrical storytelling, using irony and humor to subvert expectations surrounding contemporary dance. Martini explores power dynamics between performer and spectator, the desire to capture attention, and the risk of body objectification.
In addition to his work as a choreographer, he serves as the artistic director of the Re.Search professional training program at the Nuova Officina della Danza (NOD) in Turin.
The 12 partners participating in this edition of CollaborAction are:
Cantieri Danza, AMAT – Associazione Marchigiana per le Attività Teatrali, ARTEVEN, Associazione MOSAICO DANZA/Festival Interplay, ATER Fondazione, Circuito CLAPS, Consorzio Puglia Culture, Fondazione Armunia, Fondazione Teatro Comunale Città di Vicenza, Fondazione Toscana Spettacolo, IterCulture APS, and MAYA INC./FIND Festival Internazionale Nuova Danza.
Network Anticorpi XL is the Italian network dedicated to emerging auteur dance. Established in 2007, the network currently involves 36 cultural organizations across 15 regions and stands as a concrete, significant example of how new generations of Italian choreographers are promoted. It is a network of professionals offering a comprehensive range of initiatives designed to meet the needs of artists at various stages of their growth and development – from emerging choreographers seeking training, exchange, mentoring, and dialogue while their artistic voice is still taking shape, to established artists with a distinct style who wish to explore more complex creative processes.
Over its 18 years of operation, the Network has created a unique working model – now well-established and recognized as a best practice for supporting the entire performing arts sector – thereby contributing to the emergence and subsequent professional consolidation of a significant number of choreographers.
Info and updates:
www.networkdanzaxl.org
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