It was held at the Teatro Manzoni in Milan the press conference on programming 2023/24, masterfully conducted by the director Alessandro Arnone, in the presence of an audience interested and involved, which has counted eminent personalities of the world of culture, of Entertainment and Communication, including the MAB president, Silvio Andrea Beretta.

The presence of artists came to meet spectators and journalists, in view of a season full of titles and content.
Among the events on the bill “What I want for Christmas”, the Dance Party-Show of Gisella Zilembo, born at MAB, as a result of an international laboratory of Theater Coching, which involved experienced dancers and young talents, in an intense coordinated synergy, by EventiDanza and Influendo Productions.

The result is a performance inspired by the atmosphere of Christmas, to the notes of the most famous Christmas music. The appointment is at the theater on December 15 at 20.45, for a collective party, which aspires to return the deep social nature of the Theatre, in a joyful and calvinianamente “light”.

The first round of summer events ( Summer Camp ) MAB 2023, which saw many young dancers reach the venues of Cavallino/VE (Le Terrazze del Mediterraneo Camping Village 5*) and Riace Marina/RC (Il Partenone Resort Hotel 4), to follow lessons,  masterclasses and workshops in the different choreutiche disciplines and support the audition to access the institutional training programs (including, the now famous Artistic Residences, the Teatro Arcimboldi in Milan and the new international Certificate Programme).
The work of Theater Coaching conducted internationally during the academic year 2022/23 and whose scenic outcome will be presented at the Teatro Manzoni in Milan on 15 December has been perfected at the camp.

Teachers from all over the world have made their knowledge available, in an atmosphere of great technical, artistic and human sharing, with students from all over Italy and abroad.

Among them:

In Cavallino:
Classical Technique : Alena Tarasova; and Nikki Holck; Contemporary Technique: Assaf Salhov; Urban: Hamza Erbbibi; New Style Hustle: Mike All; 
Theater coaching: Gisella Zilembo
(For the schedule schools: Progressive Ballet Tecnique: Maya Botta; Classical Technique: Barbara Ante and Lisa Stragapede)

In Riace Marina, Italy: 
Classic Technique: Kristina Grigorova, Patrizia Tosi, Monica Cagnani; Tecncia Contemporanea: Francesco Posa; Modern Technique: Nico Benedetti; Urban: Hamza Erbbibi; Urban Fusion: Skaar; Theater coaching: Gisella Zilembo

Next step: a week of intensive studies at the Performing Arts Academy Finlnadese, which will host the activities of MAB in August, giving space to young talents awarded with scholarships, to access academic programs.

On the academic board :
Contemprorary dance: Suvi Nieminen; 
Ballet: Raija Lehmussaari and Olga Mironenko; MUSICAL theater/singing: Andreas Forsberg, Evan Schoombie; 
Theater coaching: Gisella Zilembo

Cavallino photo

Riace photo

MAB Korea winner: Minjin Kim

Silvio Berlusconi has always called her his “little sister Etta” and, with this tenderness, with the same genuine sense of protection, he approached MAB, the association founded to remember Maria Antonietta, celebrate the memory and above all carry out the attention to the new generations and the love for art, born years before with the foundation of the Princess school.

MAB has been, from the beginning, the bright response of an entire family to a sudden darkness: the choice to put oneself “at the side”, to make beauty bloom, even on a great pain.
Significant parable was the constant presence of the former Premier, who has always accompanied the event with care, respect, enthusiastic participation, as discreet.

He saw the final Gala of the MAB Prize, at the Teatro Manzoni in Milan, as an unmissable event, an evening in which to remember his beloved Etta, celebrating very young Aristi. He arrived without a clamor and assisted fascinated, enthusiastic, grateful: he practiced that gratitude made of concreteness (so much so as to establish a special Prize in his name, in support of emerging industry operators – so as to rely on a solid economic basis, to dedicate themselves to innovative projects in the Dance – over the years transformed into an instrument of openness to an unthinkable world dimension) and of careful consideration for the work of each.

During the first edition, admirable exchange of jokes with Rossella Brescia (godmother and presenter of the event) to establish extemporaneously the important recognition entitled to him, which anticipated a “behind the scenes” known only to operators, in which, at the end of the evening, the Knight reaches the stage closed curtain, to shake hands with all the organizational and technical team, along with the master Roberto Fascilla and his nephew Silvio Andrea Beretta, president of MAB, with whom he shares intent and objectives.

It is a delicacy that returns with steadfast steadfastness, so much so that, in 2016, when he had to, despite himself, miss the final, he did not give up to feel his closeness and to honor those who were in the theater, in the name of a great dream. He sent, by surprise, a letter read on stage, addressed to the competitors, to whom he wished a bright path, to the artistic director Fascilla, to the general manager Gisella Zilembo and to the team, to whom he expressed sincere appreciation.
He expressed his constant closeness, with gestures full of meaning, out of every incursion, that did not correspond to making himself available to a work, of which he supports the power, in the visionary enthusiasm and tenacious planning, that have always given MAB body and substance.

Silvio Berlusconi lived the project with great enthusiasm, in the name of an essential ideal, shared with his nephew Silvio Beretta and imprinted in the DNA of the association: offering space to young people, believing in the value of culture, pursuing excellence, without compromise.

As the book “La Vita che danza” (ed. Mondadori Rizzoli) recounts when, at the suggestion of Maestro Fascilla, the Zilembo, then a fledgling manager, in 2009 was summoned to design MAB, the call appeared to her a joke and, once the misunderstanding was resolved, to her question “Why am I here? There are people of great experience who do this work”, the answer sanctioned the ethical and far-sighted approach of the MAB world: to give consideration to those who deserve, apart from any other consideration. MAB was born, therefore, with a single rule: employ for each role growing professionals, to offer a chance and give confidence.

This same trust is perhaps the most precious and powerful gift that Silvio Berlusconi today bequeaths to the association, which has become a leading international reference point, always faithful to the idea of making true, with commitment, what appears utopia.

Also in his name, with enormous gratitude, the leadership, led by the President, renews the will to do more and more and more better, so that skills and dedication have full realization and dreams can become results.

Having become a worldwide reference point, MAB announces, in view of the Gala evening 2023, the next big step, from an idea of Gisella Zilembo: the start of an international vocational training path: “MAB INTERNATIONAL CERTIFICATE PROGRAMME“accessible to trainers and students from the age of sixteen, through a hearing, and starting next September. It is a program aimed at validating the work of Italian schools (which demonstrate great merit) and offering children, who could not or would like to move abroad, a study plan in line with their expectations, in Italy. “A tribute” says Silvio Beretta “to those who do not give up believing and want to fly”.

Three continents, two months, an event that grows and that ranges: between April and May 2023, MAB Prize makes a stop in New York (with the USA final on April 7, at the KNJ theater at Peridance Center, on the occasion of the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the founding of the famous American academy, that MAB celebrates by donating a sculpture of the artist Ivan Nadin to the founder and artistic director Igal Perry); in Seoul (with the competition on May 14 at the Sangmyung Art Center, Gyedang Hall, in coordination with Interballet); then in Milan (with the traditional gala evening at the Teatro Manzoni).

The idea of being close to those young people who choose to dedicate their lives to commitment and artistic excellence is the engine that brought president Silvio Andrea Beretta, Artistic director Julio Bocca and General Manager Gisella Zilembo to multiply MAB around the globe, in the name of a great dream, to give substance and concreteness.

The first stage is the Big Apple: on April 7, completely free of charge, thanks to the patronage of MAB Association, 15 selected dancers compete on the stage in the presence of a jury that includes world famous names (Nikki Holck, David Parsons, Igal Perry, Melanie Person, Victoria Vargas, Greg Zane with Gisella Zilembo) to win an important prize money (2000 $) in tangible support of their future.

The Award is received with such enthusiasm as to count among the finalists, not only the talents of the main American realities, but also competitors from France, Japan, Brazil, Mexico and Italy and to attract great media attention.

Remarkable organizational efforts and deep commitment of all for an ambitious project and strongly desired by Silvio Andrea Beretta, so that the Award is also combined with study sessions in collaboration with Peridance Center, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Alvin Ailey School and a special masterclass with the director of the Joffrey Concert Group, Bradley Shelver. Among the guests of the event, the Broadway star Giuseppe Bausilio, the first winner of the MAB Award in 2010, who at the event recognizes the beginning of his brilliant career.

“Good luck to all” wishes the Master Julio Bocca and to win the podium, in New York, is the American Bec Gombar.

“It is said that Love moves mountains, we are trying to move them at a pace of Dance,” says the Zilembo, then adds:  “Today more than ever, if we can transmit a living example of how commitment, constancy and trust can change the world, all this makes sense and Art is confirmed as the most extraordinary of revolutions”.

(Ph. Matteo Rocchi)

Attached, in photo: 

David Parsons, Melanie Person with Gisella Zilembo, Igal Perry, Gisella Zilembo with Bec Gombar, all finalists of Premio MAB Usa 2nd edt.

Some finalists of MAB USa2023, namely:

Ana Cecilia Cardoso Urchichi, HELOISE Ponsonnet, Miku Hivayama, Bec Gombar, Martina Maculan, Andrew Schroeder, Alexia Quaglia.