ŻfinMalta gets new artistic director

Celebrated Italian choreographer Paolo Mangiola has been appointed as the new artistic director of Malta’s national dance company, ŻfinMalta Dance Ensemble.

He replaces Mavin Khoo, who started ŻfinMalta three years ago and will pass on the baton to Mangiola on 1 July.

 “We are very excited to have Paolo on board. He is an artist of the highest standing with a luminous career. I have great confidence that he will take the company to higher goals,” Khoo said.

Mangiola, who was appointed resident choreographer at Balletto di Roma in 2015, was chosen by the Board of ŻfinMalta and the Arts Council Malta from over 30 applicants.

Mangiola is a choreographer, dance educator and performer working within ballet and contemporary dance practices. As a performer, he collaborated and danced for artists and choreographers such as Wayne McGregor, Deborah Hay, Martin Creed, Mauro Bigonzetti and Jacopo Godani.

Alongside his work as a dancer he decided at a young age to devote himself to the exploration of his artistic practice, refining his studies at The Place, London, achieving a Master in Choreography in 2015.

He created works for the Royal Ballet, Tanztheater Nürnberg, Aterballetto and Balletto di Roma and his choreographies have been performed in theatres as well as in contemporary art galleries and urban spaces in the UK, US, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Spain, Serbia and have been broadcasted worldwide from the cultural platform Nowness.

He is currently curating the contemporary dance department at the Scuola del Balletto di Roma. He was a guest teacher of choreography and dance history at the University of Malta and a full-time teacher of composition at the English National Ballet School, London.