PEOPLE
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GIUSEPPE SANNIU
Co-founderBorn in Cagliari, he is a contemporary dancer and choreographer who has collaborated with various theatres, companies, and production centers across the European scene. Among the institutions he has worked with are the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, Teatro Regio di Torino, ASMED – Balletto di Sardegna, Co>labs Tanz Theater, Le Ballet Populaire, Fuorimargine – Centro di produzione, AMAT Marche, the Gran Théâtre de la Ville de Luxembourg, and the Dutch National Opera & Ballet, among others.
His experience also includes collaborations with renowned directors and choreographers such as Barrie Kosky, Stefano Poda, Lurence Dale, Claus Guth, Pierre Emmanuel Rousseau, Renato Bonajuto, Henning Brockhaus, Carmine De Amicis, Jean-Guillaume Weis, Elisabeth Schilling, Beate Höhn, Brian Ca, Nichole Canuso, Simona Bertozzi, and Otto Pichler.
As a choreographer, Giuseppe stands out for an analytical and structured approach that explores human dynamics in relation to complex situations and universal conflicts. His work, marked by intense physicality and compositional precision, investigates the limits of the body and its interaction with space and time. Among his most significant creations are White Noise, UZUMAKI—a Compagnia Oltrenotte production currently in development exploring cycles and repetition as metaphors for the human condition—INNER MAP, a production by ASMED – Balletto di Sardegna, and ROOM, a site-specific work commissioned by FIND – Festival Internazionale Nuova Danza.
At the core of his practice is a strong focus on the quality and precision of movement, conceived as a tool for reading and organizing the body in space. Giuseppe develops a careful observation of both individual and collective dynamics, working with equal attention with professional dancers and non-trained performers, in contexts ranging from solo works to large groups. This analytical ability allows him to structure complex material, enhancing the specificities of each body while making physical and spatial relationships clearly legible within the composition.
His experience in teaching contemporary dance includes leading experimental and creative workshops in Italy, where he shares tools and methodologies for choreographic creation and the development of body language.
MAURIZIO MONTIS
Co-founderStarts his dance training at the age of 5 in Sardinia and very soon continues his education abroad at some of the prestigious Dance Schools of the international scene such as: “Academie de Danse Classique Princesse Grace de Monte Carlo” , the “London Studio Center” and the “Vienna State Opera Balletschool”, where he graduated as professional dancer in 1999. As soon as he graduated he worked for 4 years as principal dancer for the Salzburg Ballet Company directed by Peter Breuer and later returned to Italy where for two years has danced for Spellbound Contemporary Ballett directed by Mauro Astolfi.
His artistic career moves on as a freelance dancer, moving to London where he began a more in-depth and versatile stylistic research work undertaken in collaboration with internationally renowned choreographers such as: Christopher Marney (New Adventures), Kim Brandstrup (Brooklyn Academy of Music and Operà Comique de Paris), Didy Veldman, Yolande Yorke Edgell (Yorke Dance Project), John Pennington (Pomona College of Los Angeles), Regina Wielingen (Rambert Dance School), Lucy Burge (Royal Ballet), Doug Elkins (DEDC New York City).
He held the role of artistic co-director of "In The Wings Productions" based in New York, Antwerp and London for which he regularly choreographed shows such as "Peter and Wolf" for international tours that have touched important theaters including the Lucent Danstheater of Den Haag and the New Victory Theater on Broadway.
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Our Ugly Movers
Chiara Mura
Chiara Mura (Cagliari, July 13, 1998) is an Italian contemporary dancer. After training at DanceHaus – Accademia Susanna Beltrami in Milan (2019–2022), she began an artistic path that led her to collaborate with prominent choreographers and companies on both the national and international scene.
Throughout her career, she has taken part in numerous theatrical and performative productions, ranging from opera to contemporary dance. Among her most significant experiences are opera productions at the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, including La Bohème and Carmen, both choreographed by Luigia Frattaroli. She has also worked with the Compagnia Virgilio Sieni and with Fuorimargine, participating in choreographic projects by artists such as Virgilio Sieni, Simona Bertozzi, and Maurizio Montis.
In 2024, she was involved in the production of Turandot for the Oltrenotte company, with choreography by Lupa Maimone, and performed as a dancer in the opening ceremonies of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, collaborating with internationally renowned choreographers such as Maud Lepladec and Alexander Ekman.
In 2025, she is engaged in the productions Uzumaki by Giuseppe Sanniu and Giselle Around Le Villi by Luigia Frattaroli. Alongside her theatrical work, she also takes part in interdisciplinary projects, including performances for Milan Design Week and the short film Found in Translation, in collaboration with the Civica Scuola di Cinema Luchino Visconti.
Her artistic research develops across dance, theatre, and performing arts, with a strong interest in the intersection and hybridization of different languages and contexts.
With Ugly Movers, she took part inWhite NoiseandUzumaki.
Ludovica Pinna
Born in Sardinia (Italy), Ludovica Pinna is a contemporary dancer working across the European dance scene, with professional experience in Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy.
She graduated from the Accademia Internazionale Coreutica in Florence, specializing in contemporary dance, and from the Folkwang Universität der Künste in Essen, where she trained in modern dance within the German tradition of Tanztheater, strongly influenced by the legacy of Pina Bausch.
Her artistic practice combines structured movement, improvisation, and theatricality, with a strong focus on the development of a personal movement language and the relationship between body and space.
She worked with the Nikki de Graaf Company in the Netherlands, performing in PULP FICTION, and has been collaborating since 2020 with YIBU Dance Company under the direction of Chun Zhang, touring and performing in productions presented internationally.
In 2022, she collaborated with Alberto Curci on The Illusion of Time in Essen. Her practice also includes site-specific works such as ROOM by Giuseppe Sanniu (FIND – Festival Internazionale Nuova Danza, Cagliari) and projects including THE PARK and Sa Ballada with Gruppo e-Motion and Koreoproject.
Her solo research project Rebirth Solo Research (2021), supported by the DIS-TANZ Solo program, led to the creation of What Really Happens?!, presented in Italy and awarded a special mention for choreographic writing.
Alongside her work as a performer, she is also active as a choreographer and artistic director.
With Ugly Movers, Ludovica took part in ROOM - Dance Lines
Chiara Mameli
A Sardinian dancer and performer, Chiara Mameli began her training in Sardinia before graduating from the Contemporary Dance Department of the National Academy of Dance. During her studies, she deepened her practice in modern and contemporary dance techniques, developing a personal research focused on movement quality and the relationship between body, space, and perception.
Her research was further enriched through her participation in DA.RE. Dance Research, curated by Adriana Borriello, and in the advanced training project “Il coraggio di essere – valori e movimenti di un corpo nel teatro di oggi”, curated by Raffaella Giordano. These experiences strengthened her interest in dance as a practice of awareness.
For several years, she has been a collaborator as a dancer with the company Gruppo e-MOTION, directed by Francesca La Cava. She also collaborates with ASMED – Balletto di Sardegna, taking part in productions and creative projects with Lucas Delfino, Salvo Lombardo, Mario Coccetti, and Giuseppe Sanniu.
In 2025, she was among the winners of the Premio Roma Danza in the performers category. In the same year, she undertook an internship within the Erasmus+ program at ICK Dans Amsterdam.
Since 2024, alongside her performative activity, she has also been engaged in teaching dance to children, young people, and adults.
Among the most significant encounters in her artistic path are Adriana Borriello, Marta Ciappina, Emio Greco, Raffaella Giordano, Francesca La Cava, Nicola Monaco, and Silvia Rampelli—figures who have contributed to shaping and nurturing her vision of dance.
With Ugly Movers, she took part in INNER MAP.
Sara Azzu
Sara Azzu is an emerging choreographer and a dancer active in the field of contemporary dance since 2018. Originally from Sardinia, she has studied between Accademia Nazionale di Danza (Rome) and Escola Superior de Dança (Lisbon). Her experience as a performer includes artists like Leonardo Delogu (DOM), Enzo Cosimi, Filippo Tonon, Dario la Stella and Valentina Solinas (Senza Confini di Pelle) and Giuseppe Sanniu.
Other collaborators: Museum Calouste Gulbenkian (Lisbon), Marflix Pictures (Mumbai), Ente Concerti Marialisa De Carolis (Sassari), Teatro Massimo (Cagliari), Spin Time (Rome), and THEVIDA, a project of Max Campagnani.
Since 2023, she has been developing a personal artistic research that engages in dialogue with artists from various disciplines—ranging from visual arts to music, video, singing, and acting—taking shape as a practice centered on the ritual, collective, and transformative dimensions of movement.
Her creations, often conceived as site-specific works, translate elements of her cultural background and experiences gained through travel and encounters, into a contemporary language. The circular, spiral, and infinite forms that run through her work evoke the migratory cycles of living beings becoming a metaphor for continuous transformation and becoming.
With Ugly Movers, Sara took part in ROOM - Dance Lines