Pompea Santoro

Pompea Santoro was born in San Vito dei Normanni in the province of Brindisi.
At six years old, he moved to Turin, the study of classical dance in the private school "Ariad ne" directed by Jusa Sabatini where he studied with important teachers such as: Carola Zingarelli, Jozo Borcic (Scala of Milan), Margarita Trayanova (Opera di Sofia) began. , Arlette Castagnet (school Rosella Hightower) Jean Marie Dubrul and Michel Bruel (Opera di Paris). In addition to classical dance, she studies Flamenco, with Isabel Nesi Fernandez and Jazz with Danielle Fournier (Ballet Jazz de Montreal)

In 1978, just sixteen years old, he was awarded the prize for "particular artistic talent" in the "Tersicore" competition in Brescia with a variation from "Carmen" and choreography of Alonso, edited by her lei teacher Margarita Trayanova. Among her jurors: Mario Porcile, Giuliana Penzi, Bianca Gallizia and Alberto Testa, who invites her to perform at the first festival "Dance marathon" in Spoleto. Here, Pippo Carbone, her note and recommends her to Birgit Cullberg, the then director of the Cullberg Ballet, who immediately offers her an employment contract. At the same time she is also admitted to the sixth year of study at the Academy of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan.

She chooses, however, to become part of the Swedish company, who since 1980 has been directed by Mats Ek (son of the same Cullberg) with whom she Pompea has worked continuously for 25 years. In addition to having danced many main roles in the choreography of Birgit Cullberg including Clara in "La Miss Giulia" flanked by Rodolf Nureyev, she played all Mats Ek ballets created from 1978 to 1998. Among the most important main roles: Giselle, Carmen (alternating with Ana Laguna) and Aurora. She danced in the most important theaters in the world. Mats Ek created the role of M ... in Carmen who, in the television version, won the prestigious "Emmy Awords". Over the years in company she has studied classical dance with great masters such as: Misha Meserr, Marina Stavitskaya, Kostantin Damianov, Victor Valka, Gradimir Pankov, Charles Mudry, Carmen Roche, Irena Milovan, Peter Apple, Alexander Ursuliak and others.

In 1993 she received the "Karina Ari" prize (Sweden) as the best dancer of the year, following a show dedicated to Jiri Kylian with whom she often worked. She also worked with Nacho Duato, Ohad Naharin, Billy Forsythe and Carolyn Carlssson.

In 2000 the image of her represents the Cullberg Ballet in a postal stamp.

He also receives several Italian prizes, the most important: "Postano Prize" (1989), "Dance and Dance" (1994) as the best Italian dancer in the world: on that occasion, the "golden mask" of Venice. In 1994 she prize "Vignale Danza" and honorary citizenship, in 2003 "Acqui Danza" Prize, 2009 "Giuliana Penzi" Award.

Since 1996 he began to reassemble the ballets of Mats Ek, all the work of Monaco, the work of Gothemburg, the work of Paris, the work of Prague, the work of Lyon and Royal Opera House where he has the opportunity to teach "Carmen" both to Sylvie Guillem and to Tamara Rojo. In 1997 she came out Giselle at the Scala in Milan where, in addition to her staging, Elisabetta Terabust, then Directoice, invites her to dance the main role as a guest artist flanked by Massimo Murru. This will be the last time she will dance the role of Giselle. In Verona, however, in 1998 she will be her last performance in the role of Aurora in the "sleeping beauty" of Mats Ek.

In 2002 she left Sweden and Culberg Ballet and returns to Turin.

From 2002 to 2005 she became an artistic consultant of the Teatro Nuovo in Turin. During this period she only dances on some occasions: at the Venice Biennale with a ballet created specifically for her by Jacopo Godani, and in a step to two by Johan Inverre in 2005 with which he leaves the scenes forever.

In 2010 she came back Giselle at the San Carlo Theater in Naples, where she has the opportunity to teach Roberto Bolle the role of Albrecht.

Following the great passion for teaching, she definitively stops dancing and dedicated herself more and more to young dancers. Today, she continues to reassemble the ballets of Mats Ek in the largest European theaters and keeps master-class in Italy and Europe; He also taught in prestigious both classic and contemporary academies: Conservaire de Paris, the Academa of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Académie de Danse Princesse Grace, Codarts, Laban Trinity, Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance, Dancing Preparer of Lisbon e English National Ballet School.

In October 2012 she creates the Ekodanceingernational Project to help young dancers to embark on a path of artistic growth through the study of classical dance and the choreography of Mats Ek.