An evening of celebration, emotion, and gratitude celebrated the 25th anniversary of Milly's Angels, the dance academy directed by Milena Perra. The Iglesias N2 sports complex on Via Toti welcomed nearly two thousand spectators, who flocked to a performance that retraced a quarter-century of the school's history through the choreographies that have shaped its journey.
The stage featured a variety of styles that characterize the academy's curriculum—from Modern Jazz to Preparatory, from Modern Contemporary to Hip Hop, including Urban, Zumba Kids, Showdance, and Lyrical Modern—in a journey that brought together fragments of early performances and the performances of recent years.
The show, created thanks to the contributions of friends and family and sponsored by the municipality of Iglesias, was enriched with numerous surprises dedicated to the artistic director. The teacher repeatedly showed her emotion, especially during the evening's most emotional moment, when she and the entire academy paid tribute to Alessio Marzeddu, a former student of the school, who passed away last year.
Messages of affection and gratitude from the academy's 110 students were not lacking, as were the return of former students—including Carlotta Scema, the Councilor for Culture for the Municipality of Iglesias—who even came from abroad to pay tribute to the person with whom they took their first steps in the world of dance.
"It was a celebration, and that's what I wanted. I saw my dancers' eyes light up and rejoice with me as I celebrated this 25-year career. Two thousand people? I wasn't expecting that, and I thank them for contributing to this evening's success," said Milena Perra at the end of the event.
Today, Milly's Angels is a well-established local organization, with 110 students distributed across various courses. "Passion drives me and helps me manage all these students. I also work with Noemi Mei and my two assistants, Eleonora Brioccia and Veronica Pintore," the choreographer explained.
Reflecting on her 25 years in the dance studio, Perra identifies the most important legacy she's left her students in the human aspect: "First and foremost is self-confidence," she says, "both for us teachers and for our students. And then there's grit, courage, strength, and determination. These are values that are useful not only in dance, but also in life. I hope, over the course of 25 years, I've passed them on to many of them."
Her gaze is already turned to the future: "We have so many projects in the works, maybe it will take me another 25 years?" says the school director with a smile.
The next event, however, is already upon us. From July 30th to August 1st, Iglesias will host the "Sulcis Dance Lab," an international summer dance program that will attract dancers from across Europe. The intensive course, led by Ludovica Pinna in collaboration with Milena Perra's school, will offer three days of high-level training in various dance styles, aiming to combine quality teaching with the promotion of the local area.
