ABOUT US
COMPANY NOI
Company NOI is an Antwerp-based dance company founded by Valentina Nigro in 2012. ‘Noi’, meaning ‘we’ in Italian, refers both to the choreographer’s Italian roots, and to the intense cooperation between the dancers, musicians, artists… and the choreographer.
With the ambition to reach a broader audience – not only in Antwerp, but also in the rest of Belgium and in Europe – Valentina established the non-profit association Company NOI in the summer of 2019.
The company consists of a group of young dancers with different ethnical identities, a valuable and crucial element for Valentina’s creations. Apart from the artistic wealth such a diverse group brings to the table, Company NOI is also an accurate representation of the intercultural society.
Valentina believes it is important to build lasting ties with the artists she is working with. With Company NOI, she aims to create a place of growth and durability. The company wants to inspire people with its creations, but also to bring up social issues for discussion.
KEY MOMENTS OF COMPANY NOI
2013: Company NOI debuts at the International Dance Festival in Prague with the choreography W.A.R., taking home the first price.
2014: Company NOI performs Forego at the Mestizo Arts Festival in Antwerp. The piece is about the power of sacrifice, a theme that will return regularly.
2016: Company NOI premieres with Donna, an ode to female energy, at CC Berchem in Antwerp.
2017: Company NOI brings an adapted version of Donna during the expo Timeless Beauty in the Gallo-Roman Museum in Tongeren, Belgium.
2019: The non-profit association is established, bringing Company NOI into a new era.
2020: Company NOI performs Donna’re at the Zomer van Antwerpen.
VALENTINA NIGRO
The Italian-Belgian Valentina (°1984) became passionate about dance from an early age. From 1990 until 2003 she received a classical dance education at the Royal Academy of Dance, London. Over the years, Valentina followed various ballet, jazz and contemporary dance courses in London, New York, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, and in different Belgian cities.
From 2008, Valentina also started taking urban dance classes to broaden her horizons. It’s because of these influences from urban and classical dance that she started to develop her own style. In 2012, out of an urge to tell a story in her own movement language, Valentina founded Company NOI.
Next to being a talented choreographer, Valentina is also a driven dance teacher. For over 20 years, she has been helping young people to reach their full potential, both as a dancer and a human being.