For the past 30 years Roberto Zappalà has been running and recounting a lively and vibrant South «with tenacity, clarity, vision and continuous desire to move forward, to perfect his poetics, to give a home to his ideas of dance, naturally humanistic and philosophical» (delteatro.it).

Roberto Zappalà is the artistic director and principal choreographer of the Compagnia Zappalà Danza, which he founded in 1990 in Catania and today one of the most important dance companies in Italy. It is regularly supported by the Italian Ministry of Culture since 1996 and by the Region o Sicily.

He realized over 80 creations for his own company, mainly full-evening, of which the latest “Rifare Bach” presented in 2021 at the Campania Teatro Festival, anticipated by the creation with Michele Bernardi of an animated film “The natural beauty of creation”. Among the latest creations: “Panopticon-Teatro Igienico” (2021), “La Giara”, commissioned by the Teatro Regio in Turin, successfully premièred in June 2019 in the Opera&Ballet program of the same Teatro Regio, “Liederduett” (2018) co-produced with Bolzano Danza / Tanz Bozen – preceded by Cain and Abel “Body to Body” and “Come le ali” -, “Instrument Jam” (2017), “I am Beautiful” and “Romeo and Juliet – the blur of bodies “(2016).

Some characteristics of his creations: his personal narration on his land, Sicily, a rigorous work on his choreographic language called MoDem and the research on the vulnerability of the bodies, all characterised by an intense poetic line and by a deep dialogue with “the human”.

He has also collaborated with other companies, including Balletto di Toscana, La Scala Theatre Ballet School in Milan, Norrdans, ArtEZ -Arnhem, Goteborg Ballet, Theater am Gaertnerplatz of Munich and others. His creations ‘A.semu tutti devoti tutti?’ (2009) and ‘La Nona’ (2015) have been awarded with the Danza&Danza Prize

In 2011, he created the choreographies for the Opening Ceremony of the World Fencing Championship and in 2016 he directed the project Parata Urbana for the Torinodanza festival and the Défilé of the Biennale de Lyon

He has worked with many opera directors, such as Daniele Abbado, Federico Tiezzi and Giorgio Barberio Corsett and with artists on the international scene including Giovanni Sollima, Paolo Fresu, Fabio Vacchi, Puccio Castrogiovanni, Vincenzo Pirrotta, Luca Ballerini, Alfio Antico, Gianluigi Trovesi, Nello Toscano and others.

Together with Christian Graupner (Humatic, Berlin) he realized the interactive installation “MindBox”, second Prize at the Guthman Musical Instrument Competition(Atlanta/USA 2011) and he has produced some essays on the methodology of his work, recently published in a single volume Omnia Corpora

Roberto Zappalà is also responsible for the conception and restoration of Scenario Pubblico, opened in 2002, residence of the Compagnia Zappalà Danza and a rare example in Italy of a European choreographic center which later became in 2015, together with the Compagnia Zappalà Danza, the recognized National Dance Production Center. from MIBAC.

In June 2022 the important recognition and Scenario Pubbico / Compagnia Zappalà Danza was appointed C.R.I.D. Centro di Rilevante Interesse nazionale by the Ministry of Culture.

In November 2013, Roberto Zappalà received the Italian Association of Theatre Critics Award and in 2019 the Danzuso Prize.