He is the artistic director and main choreographer of Compagnia Zappalà Danza, which he founded in 1989. From then, he has created more than 25 choreographies in 20 years of activity for his company, presented in Italy and in several countries in Europe, SouthAmerica, MiddleEast, SouthAfrica. Mostly entire evening performances, supported by important partnerships such as the Teatro A.Ponchielli of Cremona, the Fondazione I TEATRI of Reggio Emilia, The Swiss Institute of Rome, the Teatro Stabile of Catania, and with the continuous and increasing support of the Ministero per I Beni e le Attività Culturali.

 

Zappalà also collaborated with other companies, he produced new creations for the Balletto di Toscana, for the Scuola di Ballo of the Teatro alla Scala of Milano, for ArtEZ Arnhem (NL), for the Swedish company Norrdans, for the Stichting Theaterwerkplaats Generale Oost (NL). He left his original and contemporary creative sign in the choreographies of particular editions of the musicals Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita produced by the Teatro della Munizione, and he often collaborated with Opera directors such as Daniele Abbado and Federico Tiezzi.

He has collaborated with several composers and musicians from the european landscape, among them Giovanni Sollima, Paolo Fresu, Fabio Vacchi, Rosalba Bentivoglio, Nello Toscano, Puccio Castrogiovanni, Alfio Antico, Gianluigi Trovesi.

 

Zappalà dedicated himself to the transmission of his personal choreographic language through workshops held all over Italy and Europe and he has been also invited by the University of Catania to hold workshops on the body’s and performances’ languages .

He is responsible for the conception and restoration as well as the artistic director of the centre for the performing arts Scenario Pubblico, opened in 2002, residence of the Compagnia Zappalà Danza and rare example of european choreographic centre in Italy.

 

In 2007 the edizioni Metaarte published the book “Corpi incompiuti. Un viaggio nella danza di Roberto Zappalà” [undone bodies. a journey through Roberto Zappalà’s dance] by Paolo Randazzo.

 

In 2009 Roberto Zappalà started the International project “atelier a domicilio – laboratori e creazioni su misura per giovani danzatori” [workshops and creations made to measure for young dancers], in collaboration with other european institutions like ArtEZ Dansacademie (NL). In the framework of this project Zappalà produced “corpo devoto” [devoted body], a text dealing with the processes and the methodology of his work and relative workshop.

 

The performance A.semu tutti devoti tutti? created by the choreographer for the compagnia zappalà danza has been awarded with the Danza&Danza prize best italian production 2009.