With 20,000 total attendees, more than 100 accredited journalists, 760 instructors involved, and over 10,670 dancers performing on stage and in classrooms at the Fortezza, all drawn by this year’s slogan, Dance Beyond, the event has positioned itself as a true showcase of opportunities. Danzainfiera 2025 concluded on Sunday, February 23, with record-breaking numbers: over the three days, the entire dance world – from professionals to emerging talents – flocked to Fortezza da Basso, the venue of the event organized by Pitti Immagine, and enthusiastically took part in more than 320 events, including lessons, auditions, workshops, competitions, showcases, and talks, presented by 60 schools, institutions, and national and international associations, alongside exhibitors from the Training & Performance area and special initiatives curated by Pitti Immagine.

A total of 275 schools participated, accompanying thousands of adolescents with one common goal: to become great dancers. More than 4,000 scholarships were awarded to them.

At the same time, Danzainfiera strengthened its role as a key reference for industry professionals and businesses: over 500 buyers (55% from abroad) from all around the world attended, marking a 16% increase from 2024. They discovered the new collections from 80 exhibiting companies, including leading international names and emerging brands in the production of technical dancewear, accessories, and innovative equipment.

Dance Beyond – The Gala, directed by Francesco Volpe, lived up to and exceeded expectations. A true star of the night, Sergio Bernal, performed The Swan and Obertura in front of a packed Sala della Ronda, receiving a standing ovation. Also outstanding was the pas de deux performed by Maia Makhateli and Korean dancer Young Gyu Choi. Every artist left a lasting impression on the audience: from Tommaso Parazzoli to the Roma City Ballet Company, Descendants, Alexei Orohovskhy from YAGP Youth America Grand Prix, Jesus Andrea Rea Lopez, who performed Pachakuti, a choreography by Michela Priuli, winner of the "600 Beats" Danzainfiera 2024 competition.

Another great achievement was "Calimala", the contemporary dance project created through the collaboration between Fondazione Pitti Discovery, Nutida Festival (Stazione Utopia), and Musicus Concentus. The selected "dance authors” – Beatrice Ranieri, Vittorio Porcelli, Sara Ariotti, Kyda Pozza, Marta Andreitsiv, and Rita Carrara – successfully performed at Padiglione Cavaniglia, showcasing their original choreographies set to music composed by Studio Batsumi (London).

Many outstanding talents came to Danzainfiera this year, making it difficult to pinpoint the highlights of the event. The activities of the Accademia Teatro alla Scala, the Aula Moma Studios, and all the auditions were highly followed, with particular emphasis on those for the theatrical productions of Teatro Sistina, directed by Massimo Romeo Piparo, featuring Rossella Brescia and British choreographer Billy Mitchell. The latter achieved great success with his actor-dancers from the musical Matilda during a fan meet-and-greet at the Unicredit Talk Arena. The events in this area generated immense interest: Sergio Bernal was greeted with standing ovations and countless selfie requests from fans who had been eagerly awaiting him; the Descendants collective shed light on the challenges faced by second-generation Afro-Italian dancers; Natalia Bashkatova explained the goals and significance of the Youth America Grand Prix, a competition that each year recognizes top dance talents and helps launch their careers; together with José Carayol, the dancer-choreographer held highly attended masterclasses and auditions for young dancers. Other highly attended auditions included the prestigious Joffrey Ballet School New York and its special guest artists, the auditions held by the Fondazione Nazionale della Danza / Aterballetto, Italy’s only National Choreographic Center, as well as the lessons offered by the Aula ACSI, which involved more than 30 instructors. Also making a remarkable debut at Danzainfiera was ArtVillage, one of Italy’s largest artistic campuses, directed by Luciano Cannito, which offers study programs in dance, singing, acting, and musical theater, and awarded a number of scholarships to promising students.

The Expression Gala 20th Anniversary, held in the Sala delle Nazioni in the presence of the dancers from IDA Dance Lab, also drew great participation. The event provided a stage for dance schools and performers who have taken part in the competition over many past editions.

The activities in the special areas dedicated to the new frontiers of dance were highly appreciated and saw great participation. Among them, the I.D.A. DANCE BODY CARE classroom, entirely focused on body awareness, provided dancers, teachers, students, and performers with new resources to bring tangible benefits to their practice. The new AERIAL & POLE DANCE AREA, dedicated to aerial and acrobatic disciplines, offered a continuous schedule of free public lessons and featured a special setup created by THEPOLE. Lastly, Virtual Dance for Real People offered an innovative experience that fused dance with technology, utilizing virtual reality and 360° video inside the VIRTUAL REALITY CORNER by Aterballetto.