In an interview series, we offer a look behind the scenes of the dance world, where passion, ambitions and challenges converge. Today, we share the story of Vincenzo, an Italian dancer and choreographer who has made waves in the Netherlands. From navigating the pressures of gender roles in dance to embracing their true self, Vincenzo’s journey is one of personal transformation and advocacy for a more inclusive and creative future in the performing arts.
“I decided I would be me, and I would find a way to be me”
Following Intuition
Vincenzo, originally from Italy, moved to the Netherlands eleven years ago after graduating from Teatro Alla Scala in Milan. “I first spent a year in Madrid on a guest contract. While I loved the city and enjoyed the repertoire, I had this feeling that it wasn’t really the right place for me—that my future there was limited. It was more intuition than anything concrete. At the time, Introdans was on tour in Madrid, and I asked if I could join one of their ballet classes as a warm-up before the show. Afterward, the directors approached me and offered me a one-year contract for the following season. They gave me a week to decide. It went fast but it felt completely natural, so I thought: ‘Okay, let’s go!’”
There was a bit of a cultural adjustment before Vincenzo truly settled in, but soon it felt like the right decision to dance with Introdans in Arnhem. “I always liked the hybrid approach in Introdans’ repertoire—not too contemporary, not too classical. That’s what drew me in.”
Breaking down to break through
Even though Introdans felt like the right choice, Vincenzo started feeling drained. “I was putting in so much effort. For what? To be chosen? I always felt like I had to please others, to fit in, to secure work.”
That was when Vincenzo began to question whether the binary role they were ‘forced’ into truly aligned with their identity. “As a child in ballet class, you’re split into male and female groups. I was taught to dance as a male dancer, to look like a male dancer. I spent my whole life adjusting my body to fit that mold. And then, at one point, my body just shut down. At first, I didn’t understand what was happening. I started feeling depressed, like I was wrong—like there was no place for me to be me. And that’s the hardest part: as a dancer, you want to be loved, to be chosen. But I didn’t feel like myself. I felt unloved.”
“I realized I was experiencing burnout and had to turn inward. With the support of a therapist, I eventually found myself again and understood that I wasn’t the problem—the system was. If you injure your leg or foot, people acknowledge it. But what about this?” Vincenzo raises both hands and points firmly at their head. “Mental struggles in dance are rarely ever recognized.”
“If we break the glass, it shatters and becomes like glitter
– then we really start dancing”
Embracing Authenticity
“I took a break and little by little learned to reintroduce myself. It was a painful but beautiful journey. When I started dancing again, I wasn’t fully myself yet, but it helped that I was cast in certain roles that weren’t stereotype male roles. It was all about experimenting. I also began to open up about my journey, sharing my story on social media, defining my own narrative.”
Vincenzo embraced choreography during their journey of self-exploration. “Choreography was a coping mechanism for me, a way to heal and share something from within. As a dancer, you often perform other people’s work, which can feel disconnected from the person you are inside. Choreography created space for me to just be.”
“At that point people in my network connected me with this theatre group Boys won’t be boys which were looking for performers. I had a meeting with Rikkert (the director) and we started talking. He coached me to tell my story in a more theatrical way and that’s when I thought: Okay, I’m going to choreograph my own solo. I created a piece in a mirror suit to express the idea that I’m not just different – different was always a word that hurt me – I found something better: unique.”
Vincenzo mimes stage curtains flinging open, “and, BOOM, the lights come on, and I take the stage in pointe shoes. If we break the glass, it shatters and becomes like glitter – then we really start dancing.”
That performance opened a new path for Vincenzo. The director of Introdans saw it and decided to add Unique to the Introdans repertoire. Now it’s part of the touring program. “Through performing with Boys Won’t Be Boys, I met more people like me. The queer community embraced me—something I hadn’t experienced before. I realized I wasn’t alone and I finally felt: I’m not weird. The community empowered me and offered me so much. COC Netherlands (Dutch LGBBTIQ+ organization) invited me to take part in queer events as a representative. And at Sziget, I was the opening act for Kylie Minogue. I’m still like… WOW… by simply being myself, all these opportunities came my way.”
Advocating for change
Creating a more inclusive future requires change. Vincenzo believes the dance world must embrace more communication and openness about identity. “We need to talk about it,” they stress. “We need to communicate, we need words – these are the tools to work together and in dance it is what we miss. I’d like to see schools and companies provide room for conversation about these topics.” Vincenzo described that this is what worked for them; taking the time to share with their colleagues. “Dancers need to learn to express themselves, only then can we have a dialogue instead of to be taught to just shut up and dance. We are not machines, or instruments. We are human beings with minds, with feelings. At the end of the day, we do arts.”
“We assume that what we see is the only reality. And if we don’t see something, it’s like it doesn’t exist. You know what I mean?” This mindset is a key factor in the traditional gender roles within dance. It not only dictates how dancers move or express themselves but also limits their opportunities. “Why not allow dancers to try and learn things? In new contemporary works we see that women don’t know how to lift – they are always the ones being lifted – and this reinforces gender and sex binaries. Girls learn they can be very easily replaced. They have less chance to become the leaders of tomorrow,” Vincenzo explains.
Vincenzo reflects, “Ballet is not a feminist industry; it is a feminized industry. Ballet started as man, and then man created the vision of woman, and this maintained for generations.” But Vincenzo remains hopeful, “now there is a little bit of an opening to change this and allow for more identities to come forward.”
“These limitations aren’t confined to gender alone. They also extend to dancers who don’t fit the traditional mold, whether because of their ethnicity, gender identity, or other factors. In such an environment, people of color, queer dancers, or non-binary individuals often face barriers to access the same opportunities for growth.”
“By breaking these boundaries, we open up space for more diverse movement, allowing dance to evolve and grow richer for everyone”
Expanding possibilities
Vincenzo continues, “What if we dismantle the gender and identity binaries that dominate the industry? By breaking these boundaries, we open up space for more diverse movement, allowing dance to evolve and grow richer for everyone. I envision a more inclusive and creative dance environment. One that’s healthier for everyone: for women to thrive as future leaders, for men to continually thrive, for people of color to take on more leading roles in production and performance, providing space for queer and non-binary individuals to perform, for intersex people to have access to education, and for everyone to develop—not just as artists, but as people.”
“Dance is a school of life. Why should we not give people the opportunity to learn about who they are?
It will only make the dance world brighter”
Boys Won’t Be Boys
“We are just humans trying to find our place in society, and we’re finding ways to express ourselves”
Boys Won’t Be Boys is a theater production that brings together a diverse group of individuals, including professional dancers, singers, and actors, as well as amateurs. This mix of talents is key to the collective’s mission of telling stories that go beyond the traditional confines of gender and identity. Each performance is shaped by local performers from the region where the show takes place, making it a platform for sharing real, personal stories—stories that are not just those of the performers, but ones the audience can see themselves in. In Vincenzo’s words: “I know I am not an exception; I want to help others who might feel the same way I did—alone or uncertain about their place in the world— to see our show and think ‘Oh, I can be that!”
Currently, they’re working on a new project, Girls Won’t Be Girls, which is set to premiere in September. This production is centered around dismantling the traditional gender binary and moving towards a more non-binary understanding of identity. “By acknowledging the two, we dismantle it,” says Vincenzo. “We are just humans trying to find our place in society, and we’re finding ways to express ourselves.”
Boys Won’t Be Boys recently won the prestigious WINQ Culture Award in 2024, further highlighting the growing recognition of the importance of these conversations in the arts. Check the tour schedule to attend a Boys Won’t Be Boys performance near you.
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