ABOUT US
Founded in Turin in 2015, the Nuova Officina della Danza (NOD) serves as a professional dance training and research center. Its programs, including the International Contemporary Dance Program (ICD) and the Professional Dance Program Nuova X directed by choreographer Tom Weinberger, offer a bridge between academic training and the professional dance world.
Designed for those who have completed secondary education, the center provides a pathway for aspiring dancers to join the evolving landscape of dance professionals. NOD stands out for its dedication to research and innovation within the field of contemporary dance. By partnering with teachers and choreographers from esteemed companies like Batsheva Dance Company, Wupperthal - Pina Bausch, Forsythe, Kidd Pivot, Hofesh Shechter, L.E.V. Sharon Eyal & Guy Behar, Emanuel Gat, and others, the center is committed to delivering a high quality educational experience. This commitment involves integrating diverse approaches, languages, and repertoires to ensure a comprehensive and high-quality learning environment.
At NOD, dancers have the opportunity to study with a new teacher each week and can choose between attending for a quarter, semester, or a full year. Our programs are designed with a specific goal: to equip dancers with the necessary tools to become skilled collaborators across various creative contexts. This involves fostering a mindset that is flexible, adaptable, and creative, capable of navigating the dynamic demands of today's professional landscape.
PROSPECTIVE DANCERS
NOD is tailored for dancers aged 18 and above, with a strong foundation in both contemporary and classical training. Specifically, we target dancers who have successfully graduated from academies and performing arts high schools and are eager to delve into more innovative and contemporary repertoires.
Within our programs, dancers have the unique chance to join an international network and collaborate with professionals that are actively engaged in the contemporary dance scene.
The International Contemporary Dance Program (ICD) at NOD embraces thediverse contributions of contemporary dance. Rather than rigidly separating different styles, our approach encourages their exploration and comparison. Through the distinctive practice of rotating instructors on weekly basis, students not only broaden their repertoire but also work towards uncovering and refining their individual styles and strengths. The ICD Program welcomes a maximum of 25 participants from around the world, offering five days a week of contemporary dance training, complemented by three weekly sessions of ballet classes. Participants have the flexibility to choose the duration of their involvement: either a full academic year (10 months from August to June), a single quarter (three months selected from the first, second, or third trimester), or individual sessions with guest instructors (open to a maximum of five external participants).
Nuova X is a professional dance program directed by choreographer Tom Weinberger, in partnership with NOD. The program is divided into quarterly sessions, running from September to June. During each session, a pre-selected group of international dancers will work with two contemporary choreographers to collaborate on the development of two distinct new creations. Each creation process will extend over a period of five weeks, five days a week, four hours a day.
The main goal of our framework is to equip dancers with the necessary tools to grow and excel as collaborators in the professional dance field. Promoting physical and mental adaptability, a wide exploration of creativity, a sense of ownership over one’s craft, independence and self
discipline.
This involves fostering a growth mindset among dancers. Cultivating a space where challenges and limitations are seen as an essential aspect of the learning journey rather than a barrier. All the above while working in a diverse, open, and safe studio environment.
At the end of each trimester a studio showcase will be held, giving participants and choreographers the opportunity to share their work in progress with the community.
MISSION AND VISION
Over time, NOD has successfully connected male and female dancers with opportunities in the professional world, offering them diverse pathways. Our aim is to further expand this network, fostering even stronger ties between national and international dance communities.
Nuova Officina della Danza (NOD) strives to be a generative meeting space where dance is seen as an expression of one’s uniqueness, and where bodies express, first of all, vitality. With this in mind, NOD seeks to train daring dancers, willing to tackle a rigorous yet flexible dance program. For NOD, what characterizes a daring dancer is not the absence of fear but, on the contrary, a willingness of embracing and processing one's own vulnerabilities.
NOD’s intent is to generate a change for dancers, teachers, and anyone else part of the program. To encourage and support their personal and professional growth, and create an environment, through a thoughtful organization of time and space, that facilitates, literally and not, any leaps forward.