Salvatore Castelli

Born: 1993, Agrigento (Italy)
Education: Agora Coaching project, Reggio Emilia
Experience: MMcompany, Reggio Emilia; Introdans (since August 2013)

Salvatore Castelli grew up in a small port town in Sicily. While his father was waiting for him to take up football, Salvatore became increasingly curious about the ballet classes his older sister attended. When he joined one of the classes himself, his ballet teacher immediately recognised his talent. His parents took some time to get used to the idea, but they soon became enthusiastic supporters.

At the age of twelve, Salvatore was awarded a scholarship to study at Teatro dell’Opera di Roma. He moved to Rome, but he soon returned to Sicily. The strictly classical nature of the training did not suit him. “I learned that I am not a classical dancer. In contemporary dance, I can express myself in a more natural way.”

At sixteen, he was given a new opportunity to work as a dancer on television programmes. For two years, he performed in TV studios in Turin, Rome and Bologna. During this time, he also trained as an architectural draughtsman.

After this period, Salvatore decided to further develop himself as a dancer. He moved to Reggio Emilia, where he joined the Agora Coaching Project and trained with various choreographers. After a year, he was offered a position with MMcompany, where he worked with several choreographers and gained valuable experience.

In 2013, Salvatore took the step abroad and auditioned for Introdans. He was accepted and found at Introdans exactly what he was looking for: a diverse repertoire in which he could continue to develop as a dancer. “I want to be challenged and stay focused; to really achieve something as a dancer.” Salvatore has been a familiar face at Introdans for many years. For a long time, he danced alongside Vérine Bouwman. They fell in love, got married and have two children together. Vérine is no longer a dancer and is now a ballet master at Introdans. The years they spent dancing together remain a special part of his long career with Introdans.