Sofia Nappi brings groove to ENERGY
September 8, 2026
The new programme ENERGY by Introdans opens with the dynamic ballet Tagadà by Italian choreographer Sofia Nappi. The young choreographer, in her early thirties, created the ballet in 2023 for the Staatsballett Hannover. This revival by Introdans marks the first time the work is being performed again, and by a different company. Nappi is thrilled about this: “I feel a hunger in the Introdans dancers that inspires me, an openness to young, fresh energy.”
Italian choreographer Sofia Nappi (1994) belongs to the new generation of choreographers who are currently making a name for themselves and shaping international contemporary dance in their own way. In 2022, she founded the dance company KOMOCO together with her first muses, Paolo Piancastelli and Adriano Popolo. With Nappi as the company’s artistic director, it tours the world. Nappi has developed a highly personal, intuitive and theatrical movement language and approach, influenced by Hofesh Shechter and Gaga, the method developed by Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin.
Introdans first got to know Nappi in 2021 during the international duet competition RIDCC, where she received the Introdans Partner Award. Two years later, she was invited to create a piece for HubClub’23. Following that success, she has now been invited to be part of a main-stage programme at Introdans.
Life as a fairground ride
The title Tagadà refers to the traditional Italian fairground ride of the same name, in which a large disc spins so fast that riders are pressed against its side. The challenge is to find your balance and still remain standing. It’s a metaphor for life, says Nappi: “By letting go, we can keep ourselves standing. You don’t have to fight the chaos to stay upright.” Ultimately, Tagadà is a journey through different stages of life, very light in character: “Tagadà shows energy as life force, an energy we feel when we experience joy.”
The inner groove
Having fun, that’s what she asks of the Introdans dancers. “The more relaxation and enjoyment the dancers allow themselves, the closer they get to the source of life, movement and rhythm.” Nappi calls this source the groove. The groove is the starting point for all her choreographic work; an inner force from which she lets dance emerge.
Daft Punk in Tagadà
Listen to the track Giorgio Moroder by Daft Punk, and you’ll get a sense of how that groove feels in the ballet. The song by the famous French house and electro duo, about Giovanni Giorgio Moroder (the Italian producer of the disco era), was the musical starting point for Tagadà. “The song formed the basis for selecting the other pieces of music. It’s upbeat, but at the same time brings lightness.” Thematically, too, the track fits the performance perfectly: “It gave me a sense of ownership, and that’s what I was looking for with Tagadà as well. Moreover,” Nappi explains, “the synthesizer that’s so clearly audible, and which is also sung about in Giorgio Moroder, comes from the same era as the fairground ride.”
In this way, Tagadà is a playful, musical journey through life — recognisable, infectious, and an invitation to feel and share our own groove.
