by Carrie Cross

Tucked beneath the bustling classrooms of the Atrium is a professional dance studio. Its open doors welcome potential students and curious onlookers. Inside the studio, sunlight splashes across the walls of the waiting area. Pictures of dancers, some in vibrantly red flamenco costumes, others poised in pink tutus, glow in the early morning light. A group of cabaret dancers holds angular poses in one image, while a mob of hip hop dancers slumps casually in another. The graceful bend of limbs in the ballet images contrasts sharply with the jazz dancers' impassioned glares. The otherwise incongruous images meld into a gallery that illustrates the diversity of dance taught within the studio.

Benilde Marini, the founder of Movimento e Fantasia, or Movement and Fantasy, breezes through the dance studio. Pairing a soft pink top with baggy pants, the 42-year-old teacher seems to fall somewhere between traditional and contemporary. Marini says she believes that a well-trained dancer is skilled in all types of dancing.

"Dancing for me is 24/7, every single day," she says,   pushing her black-framed glasses up the bridge of her nose. "When you attend a school, you learn everything. This is a school to become a dancer. I teach every type of dance from classical to hip hop."

Marini's love for dance and teaching started early in childhood. She attended a preparatory school in Perugia, which promised training in both classical and contemporary dance. The training included flamenco, tango, ballet, modern, jazz and hip hop. As she advanced within the program, Marini taught the younger members of the school. After a final examination, Marini earned a certificate that allowed her to teach.

Marini was always certain about her path within the dance industry. With a quick gesture, she explains, "I had never tried to become a professional dancer. What I like is to teach others to dance."

Her drive to teach has remained strong over the past 20 years. Marini remained a brief time in Perugia before returning home to teach dance in Cagli, her birthplace. In 1991 Marini opened Movimento e Fantasia.

"I try to give my students a dance culture. It is important to teach students what dance means," Marini says, stressing the importance of a well-rounded dance education. Marini advocates that dancers first learn all types of dance so that they may develop an appreciation for the art form. Marini advises that a specialty in one type of dance can be decided later in a dancer's career.

Movimento e Fantasia caters to 240 students, ranging from early adolescence to adulthood. Eleven instructors are on staff at the studio, which offers both classical and contemporary classes. Although the studio is intended for training dance professionals, some of its students are older members of the community enjoying recreational party dance classes.

Throughout the year, Marini's dance studio holds several performances that feature a variety of dance styles. "Unplugged," a performance featuring hip hop, video dance, funk and break dance will include dancers from Cagli, Bologna and Tuscany.

"Hip hop is the future of dance," Marini says, suggesting that fashion trends have made this dance style more popular. "Now young people are wearing baggy pants, and they move in a certain way. Fashion always influences the preferences of people, especially young people. Hip hop is very trendy now because of this new fashion."

During the hip-hop performances the dancers often wear street attire. Baggy pants, black boots or jazz sneakers, t-shirts and cropped tops are extremely common on stage. Marini's personal philosophy of dance places equal emphasis on traditional and contemporary styles: "I started with classical dance. I love this kind of dance because it is very strict and controlled. But later on, I preferred jazz dance because you can express yourself more. Classical dance is good for training, but jazz dance makes you better able to express yourself."

Although Marini is enjoying great success in the dance industry, the road to the top was not always so well choreographed.

"My difficulty was to be trusted. I needed people to think that I was good at my job. The certificate does not mean you are a good teacher. I needed people to believe in my ability to teach. I needed people to believe I was good."

Her dedication to the studio since 1991 and her viability I the community have yielded a positive reputation throughout Cagli. Sara Bucefalo, a 16-year-old dancer at Movimento e Fantasia gives Marini glowing reviews. "She's very good at her job. Before performances she is always very nervous, but she has become like a mother to me and to all of us. I am glad she is my teacher."

Invited to reflect on the importance of dance, Marini takes a deep breath while formulating her next thought. With an impassioned flash of the eyes, Marini says simply, "Dance means life."