Komoco - Sofia Nappi
Metamorphosis through dance
At the forefront of European dance, Sofia Nappi displays her talent in an initiation rite with an irresistible groove, inspired by the famous puppet that has enchanted our childhood.
With her captivating, hyperdynamic movement language, blending the Gaga technique of Ohad Naharin with the exuberance of Hofesh Shechter, Italian choreographer Sofia Nappi is charming european audiences. In Italian, the word “pupo” means both “child” and “puppet.” Inspired by Pinocchio, Carlo Collodi’s iconic wooden character, Nappi explores transformation and the passage to adulthood. How does an innocent child free themselves from outside influences? How do they discover their own identity? The seven members of Komoco dazzle with their technical mastery and virtuosity, set to a bewitching soundtrack ranging from folkloric rhythms to Chopin and enhanced by evocative images and chiaroscuro lighting. Pupo is a plea to never forget our inner child, nor the irrepressible desire to dance.
A Word from Danse Danse
Good evening everyone,
It is with great pleasure that we welcome the Italian dance company Komoco and its talented choreographer Sofia Nappi. Back at Danse Danse for a second time, we are proud to support this rising choreographic voice.
Already in high demand, Sofia Nappi is collaborating with major companies like Ballet BC (Vancouver) and multiplying projects around the world — a clear sign of her growing international recognition. Young, bold, and already essential, she embodies a new generation of artists with a rich and distinctive choreographic universe.
With Pupo, she weaves her own version of a universal and familiar tale: that of Pinocchio. But through her lens, the famous puppet becomes a pretext for reflecting on transformation, freedom, and humanity. Sofia Nappi has the rare gift of turning simple stories into works of great refinement, where storytelling and movement intertwine with remarkable fluidity. Her choreography — fluid, instinctive, and hyperdynamic — skillfully blends worlds, while the seven virtuosic dancers of her company leave us utterly captivated.
Our admiration for this artist continues to grow, and we are thrilled to present her work once again at Danse Danse.
Enjoy the show!
Pierre Des Marais — Artistic and Executive Director of Danse Danse.
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Territorial Acknowledgement
Danse Danse acknowledges that we are gathered on the traditional and unceded territory of the Kanien’keha:ka Nation. We honour the continued presence of Indigenous peoples on the Tiohtiá:ke (Montreal) territory, which has long served as a meeting place for exchanges between nations. With respect for the links to the past, present and future, we thank the Indigenous peoples for reminding us of the importance of living in harmony with ourselves, with each other and with nature, and we are grateful for the opportunity to present works of living art at Tiohtiá:ke.
A Word from the Choreographer
I’m Sofia Nappi, and it’s an honour to bring my creation Pupo to the stage of Danse Danse with my company KOMOCO. “Pupo” in Italian means both “child” and “puppet.” This duality led me to Carlo Collodi’s Pinocchio — the wooden puppet who longs to become human, who learns through mistakes, wonder, and transformation. In this timeless tale, I found a mirror of our own journey: the fragile, never-ending process of becoming real, of shedding layers of illusion to reconnect with authenticity.
In Pupo, this metamorphosis unfolds through the body — through rhythm, tension, surrender. The dancers move like beings caught between control and freedom, innocence and awareness. Their movement blends create a space where instinct meets structure, and imagination becomes flesh.
The work is also an invitation: to remember the child within us, the part that still believes in change, curiosity, and play. Each gesture, each fall, each rebirth on stage is a reminder that we are all still learning how to be human.
With gratitude and excitement
Sofia Nappi – Choreographer and Artistic Director, Komoco.
About the Work
In Italian, "Pupo" refers to both the child and the puppet: Sofia Nappi's new piece is inspired by Pinocchio, the wooden puppet who would so much like to be a real boy. The focus is on the metamorphosis of the puppet: how does this slow transformation from one state to another take place? How does the naive child grow up and no longer allow himself to be manipulated by others? Carlo Collodi's world-famous children's book inspired the young Italian choreographer to create a modern coming-of-age story, through which fairy-tale characters such as the fox and tomcat, the talking cricket and the blue fairy also haunt in associations.
Sofia Nappi's dance language combines the wild, loose flow of Gaga language, with elements of breakdance when it comes to the jerky movements of the puppet. With minimal gestures and flashing leitmotifs, embedded in the often mirrored, unbridled desire to move of a young person, the choreographer refers to personal growth and gaining of awareness: how the innocent, curious child awakens in the world, how it meets people and plays with them, testing its limits. How then the character encounters the first temptations such as greed, how he is gullibly deceived, comes to terms with himself and finally embraces the power of forgiveness. Through his own realisation and though the help of leading figures, Pinocchio finds himself: choreographically the individual connects to collectiveness on a mantra-like music that symbolizes a moment of transformation.
The strongly rhythmic musical collage, to which Pinocchio dances, ranges from the folkloristic sound of a guitar to solemn, mystical sounds; at the end, the melancholy of memory resonates to a delicate Chopin nocturne. Nappi does not pantomime but integrates minimalist images into her dance - the crazy twitching of a marionette or the pulling of strings and manipulation, the lightning-like growth of a long nose, seductive tango steps or animal movements. White face masks that mysteriously appear and disappear on the faces allude to the stereotypes and social criticism of the old Italian commedia dell'arte. A strong, atmospheric lighting design sets the scene for the central hero and all the influences on him.
Pupo was created for adults but will give people of all ages something to look at and think about. The choreographer sees the story of the transformed wooden puppet as a lifelong attempt to become the best version of oneself. We should never forget the child in ourselves, the impulsive, playful wooden puppet that we once were, the exuberant and irrepressible desire to dance we once had.
Artist(s)
Company
KOMOCO is an Italian based Dance Company initiated by the collaboration between choreographer and performer Sofia Nappi, and her sister, violinist and composer Alice Nappi, and their shared passion for art. KOMOCO has quickly grown into a major player in the international contemporary dance scene.
Credits
Concept and choreography Sofia Nappi with the performers Bonni Bogya, Evan Bescond, Glenda Gheller, India Guanzini, Paolo Piancastelli, Senne Reus, Sem Houmes.
Assistant to the choreographer Adriano Popolo Rubbio.
Music Dead Combo, Yaron Engler, Irfan, Frédéric Chopin etc.
Sound design Ed Mars & Sofia Nappi.
Light design Alessandro Caso.
Costume design Judith Adam.
World premiere January 2024 Tanz Köln (Germany).
Production Komoco, Sosta Palmizi.
Coproduction Burghof Lörrach (Germany), Danse Danse, ecotopia dance productions (Germany), Escher Theater (Luxembourg), MART Foundation (US), ROXY Ulm (Germany), Sosta Palmizi (Italy), Tanz Köln (Germany), Theater Winterthur (Switzerland), Tollhaus Karlsruhe (Germany).
Tour management ecotopia dance productions.
With the support of ResiDance – action of Network Anticorpi XL / Centro di Residenza della Toscana (Armunia – Capotrave/Kilowatt); the Italian Institute of Culture of Cologne and MiC (Italian Ministry of Arts and Culture), in the framework of NID platform international residencies programme, Inteatro Residenze.
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