Nico Amenduni

Nico Amenduni

His first visit to the Netherlands took place during an exchange between his secondary school and a school in Culemborg.

Nico Amenduni is 'enchanted' by it: the surroundings were so different, the Dutch were so nice. "At the time, I knew nothing of the Dutch dance world, but my modern dance teacher, himself from Codarts, had already talked to me about the study programme in Rotterdam. During the visit to Culemborg, the thought did cross my mind: yes, I can see myself living here."

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Special thanks to: Blue City // Video by Iris Hendriks

Open mind

It was the RAI 1 talent show Amici that put Italian Nico under the spell of dance out of the blue. "I saw a fantastic dancer, Leon Cino, and shouted: 'I want to take dance lessons!'" He considers himself lucky that his parents, themselves fanatical sportsmen, have always had an open mind and instilled an interest in culture. They therefore took immediate action when Nico wanted to swap competitive swimming for dance.

Because he wants to finish secondary school and because, he says, there are no good contemporary dance schools in Italy, he stayed at his first ballet school until he was nineteen. The transfer to Codarts was initially difficult for him. "I had to find myself among dancers from all over the world, and that went with ups and downs."

Nico Amenduni

I see every experience as a precious gift.

 

The other part of the iceberg

EHe has never had a real 'dream company'. "You can get hypnotised by all those beautiful films that companies post on the Internet, but they say nothing about the atmosphere in a company, the air you breathe, the opportunities to develop. The other, hidden part of the iceberg, so to speak.

Scapino has definitely exceeded his expectations in that respect. Right from his internship year, he was given the chance to dance in Ed Wubbe's Scala and felt "such trust from Ed, while I really did not have a backpack full of material to give him". About his colleagues, he says: "They have made me who I am today. They are my source of inspiration, the shoulder I can cry on."

Curriculum Vitae

Born
1996, Terlizzi (province of Bari), Italy

Education
- Associazione Culturale Dance World (led by Sabrina Scioscia) Ruvo di Puglia, Italy
- Codarts Rotterdam

With Scapino since
2016

Te zien in o.a.
TING!, All hands on deck, Scala, Cathedral, Casablanca, The Square2, Oscar

Nico Amenduni

Open and present

Besides Scala, Marcos Moreau's Cathedral is also an important highlight for him. "I found it a breathtaking experience to dive into his world. A rollercoaster, a dream in which I seemed to be detached from reality."

Whereas Nico often retreated into his own world as a quiet, dreamy child, he now consciously tries to be receptive and present, to open himself up to everything that comes his way. "I want to be humble towards every choreographer, repetitor or assistant; I see every experience as a precious gift. Developing as a dancer is a never-ending process."

Nico Amenduni

Dance is not only about performing two thousand steps, it is also about the human side: how do you relate to your fellow dancers, the ballet masters, the people at the office.

 

Being quiet

That same attitude marks him out as a human being. "You can be on Instagram all day, but you can also be aware of what's going on in the world. Through that and in the confrontation with others, you can come to new insights. It is good when others give you reason to doubt. Sometimes that also means that you just have to shut up for a while, be quiet, in order to listen to others and understand them, and in that way form new thoughts."

 

Photography: Khalid Amakran | Interview: Astrid van Leeuwen

This season featuring in

  • Vier vervreemdende personen in zwarte kleding tegen een donkerblauwe achtergrond

    Cathedral

    A wondrous journey into tomorrow's world and a search for what makes us human. A revival of the successful production by choreographer Marcos Morau.

Danced in a.o.

  • Vrouw in een zwart korset met blote armen en een grote gouden tooi op het hoofd in de vorm van de manen van een paard. Zij heeft haar armen sierlijk geheven alsof zij loopt. De achtergrond is goud met een geverfde cirkel.

    Oscar

    A tribute to Oscar Carré with dance, theatre, circus and live music by Blaudzun. With Oscar, artistic director Ed Wubbe bids farewell to Scapino after 30 years.
  • Beeld met vijf dansers die elkaar bij de armen vasthouden met een in het midden die probeert te ontsnappen. Tegen een oranje achtergrond met een geverfd kruis.

    Origin 2024

    For Origin, Ed Wubbe brings two extraordinary, international choreographers to The Netherlands: Xingxing Gong and Lior Tavori.
  • Man met vegen opgezocht zit op een bed in het bos en kijkt langs de camera. Op de achtergrond lopen een vrouw en een kind hand in hand.

    Song of the dark forest

    A moving, compelling and comforting performance, performed by the complete group of dancers of Scapino, an opera singer and live music by the DoelenEnsemble.
  • Vergrijsd-blauwe afbeelding met daarop twee personen met rood haar. De vrouw vooraan heeft een arm op haar heup en leunt naar achteren. Achter haar staat een man met zijn armen als pijl en boog.

    Two Tales

    Young emerging dance makers tell poignant stories with solid roots in the lore and customs of their native land.
  • Casablanca

    Casablanca

    Casablanca is a visual performance about passion, freedom and desire for a better world.
  • Vrouw in een zwart korset met blote armen en een grote gouden tooi op het hoofd in de vorm van de manen van een paard. Zij heeft haar armen sierlijk geheven alsof zij loopt. De achtergrond is goud met een geverfde cirkel.

    Oscar

    Carré en Scapino Ballet presenteren: Oscar, een hommage aan Oscar Carré met dans, theater, circus én live muziek van Blaudzun. Exclusief te zien in Carré.
  • Danser op een rode achtergrond met geverfde letter X. Hij draagt een zwarte glimmende top en strekt zijn armen uit richting de camera.

    The Square2

    Four young makers meet eachother in The Square2, a new full-length production of Scapino Ballet Rotterdam.
  • Intertwine

    Intertwine

    A surprising encounter between the dance of Justin de Jager and the art of Alexander Calder. Stream Intertwine on Scapino's streaming platform.
  • Casablanca

    Duplicate of Casablanca

    Casablanca is a visual performance about passion, freedom and desire for a better world.
  • Made in Rotterdam foto met twee dansers

    Made in Rotterdam

    Scapino Ballet Rotterdam presents four new works, performed and created by Scapino dancers.