Riccardo Passera (he/him) is a New York-based dancer, teacher, and choreographer whose work is deeply influenced by his dual heritage, spanning from Italy to the Caribbean. Born in Milan, Italy, he began his dance training at the age of 10, studying Caribbean dance at Ratz Mataz School, before expanding into ballet, modern, and contemporary dance at different institutions such as The Ballet School, AreaDance Nuova, and New Style Dance. Early in his career, Riccardo performed works by Lino Villa with the New Style Project Dance Company, touring Italy, and also worked with choreographer Mattia Cuda while dancing with MAADE Ensemble.

Later on, Riccardo moved to New York City to train at The Ailey School, where he joined the Ailey Student Performance Group in 2022. Over the next two years, he performed Alvin Ailey’s works throughout the tri-state area under the direction of Freddie Moore.
Outside of ASPG, notable performances included Bird Lives by Alvin Ailey, an excerpt from Festa Barocca by Mauro Bigonzetti, and Memoria during the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s seasons at New York City Center from 2021 to 2023 and the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2024.

Riccardo is currently a dancer with the Jon Lehrer Dance Company and serves as a Teaching Artist with Notes in Motion’s Education Ensemble. He has had the opportunity to work with several respected choreographers, including Clifton Brown, Amy Hall Garner, Ronald K. Brown, Darrell Moultrie, Brice Mousset, Norbert De La Cruz, Johan King Silverhult, Attila Joey Csiki, and Rita Pivano.