Vittoria Caneva participated in the Artists Encounter at Spring Forward 2025

Imagine a sunny afternoon in a small Italian town. Envision an outdoor cafe just at the end of a small piazza. Now picture a warm and expressive young woman, rolling herself a cig or two and effortlessly sipping her espresso. This is exactly how I found my way to an emerging dancer and choreographer Vittoria Caneva. She’s currently based in Veneto but travels all around Europe for work. Just this morning, she arrived from a residency in Roubaix, Northern France.

How did you find your way to dance? 

I was around four years old when I told my mom that I was feeling the music in my belly. So I started dancing as a child and never stopped.

I studied in my hometown in the Veneto region, and then in 2015 moved to Rome to study in Balletto di Roma for three years. That’s when my journey as a freelance dancer really began. It’s not even a joke when I say ‘It’s the only thing I can do’.

What kind of influence has education had on your journey?

It for sure had a huge impact on the artist I have become. We had a base of ballet, but the education was very experimental and focused on contemporary dance. So, it really had even more influence on the person I have become, as there were many encounters with artists from different fields that I never imagined could be linked to dance. For example, we had a workshop with British journalist Dany Mitzman. Overall, there was a lot of information to navigate – I had to figure out what worked for me and what didn’t.

As well as creating your own performances, you have worked with many choreographers – like Yasmeen Godder, Nora Chipaumire, Marta Ciappina etc. How have these choreographers shaped your understanding of dance?

I love working as a dancer because I enjoy working together and the trust-building process you enter into with others. Working with different choreographers has definitely helped me discover parts of myself that were hidden deep down. 

For example, in 2020 I worked with Nora Chipaumire as part of her virtual studies for Dark Swan and it was very physical. The most intriguing part was the fact that I wasn’t able to grasp the entire work. It was really important for me to acknowledge that and say: ‘yes, this is something so big and huge, but I’m ready to give 100% nonetheless’. What I’m trying to say is that working with others also helps you discover your limitations.

Last summer, I worked with Marta Ciappina, who was also one of my teachers in Rome. That work was also physically intense, and it helped me discover that through immense effort, I can reach a state of excitement, joy and even a kind of ‘craziness’ that I didn’t think was possible.

You mentioned you prefer working with others rather than alone. Could you say more? Do you have any other guiding principles in your artistic practice?

Collaborating is truly important to me. I’ve realised that when I work on my own, it’s really not that exciting. Collaborating for me, is a way to enjoy other people’s talents, capacities and views. There’s always something I lack that others can bring to the table. It’s not always easy, but the result is often greater than what I could have managed on my own. I love that part of the process when ideas start popping up from every direction and everything begins to make sense – like a puzzle

Another important part of collaboration is time. The timeline of the process can be very different for everyone involved. As well as the time when things start to unfold. So it’s about trusting the process. And letting go of the control-freak tendencies to actually stay in the moment.

Do you have any other meaningful projects or practices that have formed your approach?

Since 2019, I’ve been teaching dance and creating movement research for Parkinson’s patients. I started studying and researching it, because there was something about it that was scary to me. I would say my way of looking, perceiving and thinking about dance has changed a lot through this process. 

What questions are driving you right now?

Maybe it sounds very basic, but probably: ‘How to relate and how to cross with people in a gentle and honest way’?