ABOUT
Livia Massarelli (1991), multifaceted dance artist and expert in meditation and coaching, dedicates her career to dance and to dancers' well-being, working internationally as a performer, choreographer, teacher, researcher and holistic coach.
Dance artist, educator, researcher and holistic coach
PERFORMANCE
Livia has performed nationally and internationally in acclaimed works by Dora Frankel Dance Company, Edge Company, BarberDance, SkogDans and she was part of "The Grain" project with Avant Garde Dance Company.
She has performed in Italy, UK, Scotland, Austria, Germany and Portugal in choreographies by Shobana Jeyasingh, Tony Adigun, Patricia Okenwa, Allen and Karen Kaeja, Emanuel Gat, Claudia Castellucci, Malou Airaudo, Rodolfo Leoni, Sara Lourenco, Andrea Palombi, Francesca Lombardo, Ricky Bonavita, Giovanna Velardi.
Livia collaborated as a performer in multidisciplinary performances on stage and site-specific.
Livia was part of the company "SineNomine" composed by free artists and prisoners of Maiano Prison (IT) directed by Giorgio Flamini.
TEACHING
Livia Massarelli has extensive experience as a dance educator, delivering workshops, pre-vocational, and professional classes across prestigious schools and institutions in the UK and Europe.
She has taught at Rambert School (London), where she designed and implemented a pioneering new course on meditation and dancers’ well-being, following a funded research project she led on the impact of meditative practices in dance training.
She has also been invited to teach at English National Ballet School, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, London Studio Centre, and the Institute of the Arts Barcelona.
Other institutions she has worked with include The Place (London), Scottish School of Contemporary Dance (Dundee), Dance City (Newcastle), University of Gloucestershire, Iwanson International School of Contemporary Dance(Munich), Andover College, South East College (London), Teatro Greco (Rome), as well as numerous professional training centres and private dance schools in Italy, Portugal, and the UK.
Since 2018, Livia has also been a teacher for renowned dance companies such as Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company(UK), Avant Garde Dance Company (UK), Dora Frankel Ensemble (UK), and Equilibrio Dinamico (Italy).
In addition to her artistic and educational work, Livia holds a CACHE Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Children and Young People’s Mental Health (awarded in August 2019), supporting her commitment to a holistic, inclusive, and emotionally aware approach to dance education.
Her classes create a space for technical excellence, embodied awareness, and creative exploration—honouring both the physical and inner worlds of each dancer.
EDUCATION
In 2020 Livia got a MA in performance at London Contemporary Dance School.
In 2017 Livia performed with the international touring dance company EDGE17 based at The Place (London), and she graduated as a PostGraduate student at London Contemporary Dance School.
In 2013 She graduated with honours from The National Dance Academy of Rome, and in 2015 she completed the professional course at RIDA (Rome International Dance Academy) directed by Sara Lourenco and Andrea Palombi.
She has studied and worked with world-renown artists participating in workshops and festivals such as Impulztanz, Biennale Danza, Festival Dei Due Mondi, Dance Umbrella.
In 2020 Livia graduated as professional Performance Coach (The Coaching Academy, London) and as Meditation Guide (Centre Dorje Ling, Italy).
Livia is also a researcher in the field of Dance and Wellbeing. She has conducted both academic and practice-based research, with projects funded by the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama (UK). Her work explores how meditation can support dancers’ mental health, focus, and embodied presence. Livia’s research has been published in peer-reviewed platforms, including the Journal of Dance and Somatic Practices, and featured in Dance UK’s Wednesday Wellbeing Writing series. Through this work, she continues to advocate for more holistic approaches to training and supporting artists in the professional dance sector.
CHOREOGRAPHY
Livia’s choreographic work weaves together intellectual research and visceral physicality, often rooted in collaboration and experimentation. She is particularly interested in exploring the human inner world, using art as a tool to develop both self-awareness and awareness of our collective experience as a society.
Her creations have been presented in prestigious venues such as La Maison de la Danse (Lyon, France), The Cockpit Theatre (London, UK), The Place Theatre (London, UK), Caos Centro Arti Opificio Siri (Terni, Italy), Tripspace(London, UK), Casa das Artes (Porto, Portugal), The Blue Elephant Theatre (London, UK), Teatro Ruskaja (Rome, Italy), Sala Frau (Spoleto, Italy), The Italian Parliament in Rome (on behalf of the National Dance Academy of Rome), and other venues across Europe.
Livia’s work Folies de SeeInteracting was selected and published in the volume “100 Storie di Creatività”, curated by the Lazio Region in Italy. Her solo Lichtspiel Dance was presented at Nutrimenti Festival, and her choreographic projects have appeared in a range of national and international festivals in the UK and Italy, including Resolution Festival, Terni Festival, Prospettiva Nevskij, and Arte e Scienza.
She has created work for traditional theatres as well as museums, art galleries, and unconventional spaces such as bridges and fortresses—demonstrating her commitment to reimagining where and how dance can happen.
Livia regularly collaborates with visual artists, composers, musicians, engineers, and computer scientists, reflecting her interest in interdisciplinary creation and new modes of perception.
Her latest project, Where We Meet, co-directed with Clémence Débaig, explores the intersection of dance and new technology, highlighting her evolving curiosity for merging different media and languages.
Through all her projects, Livia brings together her choreographic and meditative practices, approaching dance as a spiritual and somatic journey—a practice that supports presence, connection, and embodied awareness.
MEDITATION AND COACHING
Livia supports dancers and non-dancers in finding their own wellbeing, improving their performance and their career. She has developed a personal meditation practice for dancers and artists and she offers mentoring and coaching sessions.
Livia has been collaborating as a researcher with various dance companies, Dance Universities and Organisation such as Rambert School and Towards Vivencia.
Livia is a qualified Life Coach. She obtained the "Life, Personal Performance Diploma" at The Coaching Academy (UK), Diploma recognised by the International Coaching Federation.
Livia is a certified Thetahealing® practitioner and meditation guide (she qualified as a meditation teacher with Master Davide Cova at the Dorje-Ling Centre).
Livia works as rehearsal director and holistic coach with Equilibrio Dinamico Dance Company (IT).
photo by James Beresford