Interview with Edilio Pagano - IDO Vice President for Protocol & Festival and Chairperson of Education Committee

We are thrilled to present to you Edilio Pagano, IDO Vice President for Protocol & Festival and Chairperson of Education Committee and the coorganizer of Italian Star Ballet that will commence this weekend, from 20.10.2023 till 22.10.2023 with over 2000 dancers attending from all Italian regions.
In the interview, you will explore the world of dance, education, and leadership through Edilio's unique perspective. Discover the insights, and experiences, learn about Edilio's journey and their vision for the future.

Read the interview below.

Dear Edilio, thank you for the time to answer some questions.
💬 Please tell us a bit about yourself and your background in the world of dance and dance organizations.
I started dancing at the age of 10; I still remember the first day I entered my first dance school and I immediately fell in love with dance.
I danced for many years at a national and international level, then I dedicated myself to studying and became first teacher and then judge.
One day Moreno Polidori proposed that I join the CIBS Presidium and from there, my adventure began as a dance director both in Italy and abroad (for the IDO and the WRRC).
💬 Can you provide an overview of your role as the Vice President for Protocol & Festival, Chairperson of the Education Committee within the International Dance Organization (IDO)? What are your primary responsibilities and objectives in this position?
First of all, I want to say that working in the IDO Presidium is a task that I really enjoy, with wonderful people whom I have known for many years.
As Festivals Director, together with the Sport Director Fiona Johnson, we are planning events dedicated to dancers of all ages; one will be a MiniKids Festival and one a Senior Festival. It will not just be competitions, but also lectures, conferences and moments of fun.
For the role of Protocol manager, I am rewriting some manuals that will be useful for organizing events and training as a judge.
But the task that I am most enthusiastic about is the training of judges, teachers and dancers through new projects, courses, and lectures, which will soon be presented to all our members; continuous study is the basis of building the future.
💬 How would you describe the current state of IDO's presence and influence in Italy? What opportunities and challenges do you see in expanding IDO's reach in this region/country?
The IDO was born in Italy, more precisely in Florence, and has always been one of the international federations most present in the area, also for the disciplines it represents, which are very popular today. Last year we organized numerous IDO events in the area which we will propose again in 2024, with many new features. Working with my collaborators at IDO in Italy is simply wonderful.
💬 The Italian Star Ballet will be this weekend. Can you tell us a bit about this event? What are your views on this competition and how do you see this competition in the future of IDO?
This event was born from an idea of mine and Alessandro D'Asaro, to bring a great dance event to our city. The first edition was La Spezia Star Ballet, then given extraordinary success we changed it to ITALIAN STAR BALLET which today has become a symbol of good organization; in fact, we have also used this brand to organize various editions across the national territory, from Veneto to Puglia.
It is a multidisciplinary event dedicated to IDO disciplines. This year over 1500 dancers, 230 dance schools, and 150 judges are participating, in short, a very large-scale event. At this point, I would like to thank the Mayor of La Spezia City Mr. Pierluigi Peracchini and the President of the Liguria Region Council Mr. Gianmarco Medusei.
This edition has yet to begin and end as we are already working on the next two which will be EUROPEAN STAR BALLET and WORLD STAR BALLET, obviously always under the patronage of IDO.
💬 IDO has a diverse membership and is involved in various dance styles. How would you ensure that the interests and needs of dancers from different dance styles and backgrounds are addressed within your role as the Vice President for Protocol & Festival, Chairperson of the Education Committee?
On this aspect, it is precisely the IDO that has always been very attentive to the different needs of the disciplines; as we know we have three departments that represent the specificities of the different dance styles, which is fundamental to give credibility to what we are doing. For me it is very simple, having seen the birth and having grown up in the IDO, to understand and satisfy the different needs.
💬 Finally, on a personal note what is your message for the IDO dance community.
DANCE is life; you never stop LIVING if you build something good. I am sure that we still have a lot to do, a lot to plan and all together we can build a wonderful future for future generations.

Thank you and all the best at the competition.

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