VIRGINIA POLI
Dancer | Choreographer | Teacher
I am a creative artist and performer originally from Guardistallo (Pisa), Tuscany, Italy. I began dancing at the age of six, training in ballet and contemporary dance with Paolo Granello, Emilio Calcagno, Lucia Gabellieri, and Roberta Furlan.
In 2014, I moved to London, where I graduated with a First Class Honours degree from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in 2018. During my training, I performed works by Rahel Vonmoos, Yael Flexer, Alison Curtis-Johnson, and Lizzie Kew Ross, and attended multiple Gaga intensives across Italy, London, and Amsterdam. In 2017, I undertook internships with Batsheva Dance Company in Tel Aviv and with Johannes Wieland in Kassel, Germany.
In the 2018–2019 season, I was a company member of Transitions Dance Company under the artistic direction of David Waring. During this time, I performed and toured internationally works by leading choreographers including Karole Armitage, Hetain Patel, and Marina Collard. As part of my MA in Dance Performance, I created the piece Three Thousand Realms in a Single Moment of Life, an exploration of the concept of “extreme” in relation to grief and death.
As a freelance artist, I have collaborated with a wide range of internationally recognised choreographers and companies, including Michalis Theophanous & Georgia Tegou, Laura Kenyon (WomanEwer), Bim Malcolmson & Alma Tischlerwood, Juice Shuting, Jade Tekhil, Milo Osborn, Teddy Powell, EMINANDPAUL, Laura Engholm (Engholm Danseteater), Tommy Cattin (Erem Dance), and Maxine Doyle, among others.
Most recently, I performed in Die Walküre (The Ride of the Valkyries) at the Royal Opera House, directed by Barrie Kosky and Johannes Stepanek. My performance work spans a wide range of contexts, including stage productions, television, site-specific performances, galleries, outdoor environments, music videos, and collaborations with fashion brands.
I am the co-founder of VI.SA. Dance Project, a female-led collective exploring themes of cultural identity, belonging, resistance, and integration. In 2022, we were awarded the DYCP grant from Arts Council England, through which we created our first duet, (R)esistentia, premiered at Umbria Danza Festival in Italy. From January 2026, we have been working with BA1 students at Trinity Laban to create Tender Fists as part of the Performance Project. The piece will be presented at the end of March.
Since 2024, I have re-engaged with my MA research, developing an ongoing artistic practice centred on the life–death cycle. This has led to the creation of a new solo work, alongside a broader investigation into embodiment and transformation. This research has been supported by London Performance Studios, Studio Wayne McGregor through the FreeSpace Programme, and Trinity Laban.
Alongside my performance practice, I am increasingly engaged in teaching and facilitation. I have delivered workshops and classes for MA and BA students at Trinity Laban (2025), as well as for adults, dancers, and creatives in both London and Italy.
As a teacher, I have extensive experience working across professional training, community settings, and adult education, including with non-professional dancers, as well as disabled participants and individuals with Special Educational Needs (SEN). I have worked with organisations such as Greenwich Dance, Arc Dance Academy, Wee Movers, Masters of Ballet Academy, and Zest Education. I am currently leading adult contemporary classes in Leyton and have recently launched a new format of online classes.
