Ballet community alarmed by Italy's new Entertainment Code

A draft of Italy's upcoming Entertainment Code, dated July 1, 2025, suggests the establishment of a "National Ballet Corps of Excellence," which would replace individual ballet companies. This initiative is set to be financed by the Ministry of Culture with an annual budget of €3.5 million from 2027 to 2029, totaling €10.5 million. The new organization would comprise a general director, artistic director, marketing director, two ballet masters, sixty dancers, a ballet inspector, two assistant teachers, and a coordinator. Dancers aged 18 to 32 would be recruited via public auditions for five-year fixed-term contracts. Danza Error System, represented by Anna Chiara Amirante, Andrea Morelli, and Alessandro Staiano, contends that this proposal undermines a March 2024 commitment to maintain two stable corps, posing a risk to existing companies in Rome, Naples, and Palermo. Critics consider the proposed €1.3 million funding for these corps inadequate. The signatories have reached out to Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli and others to seek discussions.