Kledi Kadiu
Encyclopedia
Kledi Kadiu is an Albanian
-born, naturalized Italian dancer, actor, television personality, and author. He is a regular dancer on the popular talent show
Amici di Maria De Filippi (Friends of Maria De Filippi), which is presented by Maria De Filippi
on Mediaset
's Canale 5
. He starred in his first film Passa a Due in 2005. He is the founder of the Kledi Dance school in Rome
. In 2008, Kadiu became an Italian citizen.
, Albania
, the son of Fisnik Kadiu, an engineer, and Lindita Kadiu, a pharmacist. He grew up in an apartment in the centre of Tirana, along with his parents, sister Ada, and grandparents Xhavit and Kimete. Kadiu attended the National Academy of Dance, where he graduated in 1992. He soon began working as a ballet dancer in the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet, where he became the principal dancer, performing in ballets such as Giselle
, The Nutcracker Suite
, Don Quixote
and Daphnis et Chloé
.
In 1993, at the age of nineteen, he moved to Italy
. Three years later, he made his television debut as a dancer on the Canale 5 programme Quizzone. From 1997 to 2003, Kadiu was a regular dancer on the Buona Domenica variety show. This was followed by work on two popular programmes hosted by Maria De Filippi on Canale 5, C'e Posta Per Te and the Fame
-based talent show Amici di Maria De Filippi.
Kadiu posed for the 2003 Calendar of the men's magazine Max. In 2004, Kadiu founded the Kledi Dance school in Rome. The following year, he starred in his first film Passo a Due, a semi-biographical movie directed by Andrea Barzini, where Kadiu portrays Beni, a young Albanian who arrives in Italy seeking fame and fortune as a dancer. He starred in another cinematographic film, La cura del gorilla, as well as a television mini-series which was broadcast by Rai Uno
in 2007. That same year, he performed in the ballet Romeo and Juliet
, which was produced by the dance company Baletto di Roma.
Kadiu has been the recipient of two awards. In 2004, he received the Premio Gino Tani Award for Best Artist of the Year, and in 2006, he received the Ginestra d'Oro Award for Best Dancer of the Year.
In January 2009, Kadiu returned to Amici di Maria De Filippi where he is one of the regular dancers on the programme.
On 27 January 2009, Kadiu's autobiography, Meglio di una Favola (Better Than a Fairy-Tale), published by Mondadori, went on sale in Italy.
In May 2008, Kadiu was physically assaulted and verbally-abused by a group of three men in a xenophobic
attack which took place inside his dance school in the Appio district of Rome. Although Kadiu was not seriously hurt, the attack was condemned by the city's mayor Gianni Alemanno.
At an official ceremony in the Palazzo del Quirinale presided over by Italian president Giorgio Napolitano
, Kadiu became an Italian citizen in November 2008.
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
-born, naturalized Italian dancer, actor, television personality, and author. He is a regular dancer on the popular talent show
Talent show
A talent show is an event where participants perform their talent or talents of acting, singing, dancing, acrobatics, drumming, martial arts, playing an instrument, and other activities to showcase a unique form of talent, sometimes for a reward, trophy or prize...
Amici di Maria De Filippi (Friends of Maria De Filippi), which is presented by Maria De Filippi
Maria De Filippi
Maria De Filippi is an Italian television host. She is one of the most popular Italian presenters in the Italian television.-Biography and Career:...
on Mediaset
Mediaset
Mediaset S.p.A., known as Gruppo Mediaset in Italian, is an Italian-based media company which is the largest commercial broadcaster in the country...
's Canale 5
Canale 5
Canale 5 is an Italian private television network of Mediaset, the media branch of Fininvest. Canale 5 was the first private television network to have a national coverage in Italy in 1980, based on a local channel, TeleMilano 58, founded in 1978....
. He starred in his first film Passa a Due in 2005. He is the founder of the Kledi Dance school in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. In 2008, Kadiu became an Italian citizen.
Career
Kledi Kadiu was born in TiranaTirana
Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
, Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, the son of Fisnik Kadiu, an engineer, and Lindita Kadiu, a pharmacist. He grew up in an apartment in the centre of Tirana, along with his parents, sister Ada, and grandparents Xhavit and Kimete. Kadiu attended the National Academy of Dance, where he graduated in 1992. He soon began working as a ballet dancer in the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet, where he became the principal dancer, performing in ballets such as Giselle
Giselle
Giselle is a ballet in two acts with a libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Théophile Gautier, music by Adolphe Adam, and choreography by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot. The librettist took his inspiration from a poem by Heinrich Heine...
, The Nutcracker Suite
The Nutcracker Suite
The Nutcracker Suite is a recording by American guitarist Tim Sparks, released in 1993. It consists of both an adaptation for acoustic guitar of Tchaikovsky's suite from his ballet The Nutcracker and the Balkan Dreams Suite, a suite of songs based on melodies and ideas of Bela Bartok...
, Don Quixote
Don Quixote (ballet)
Don Quixote is a ballet originally staged in four acts and eight scenes, based on an episode taken from the famous novel Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes. It was originally choreographed by Marius Petipa to the music of Ludwig Minkus and was first presented by the Ballet of the...
and Daphnis et Chloé
Daphnis et Chloé
Daphnis et Chloé is a ballet with music by Maurice Ravel. Ravel described it as a "symphonie choréographique" . The scenario was adapted by Michel Fokine from an eponymous romance by the Greek writer Longus thought to date from around the 2nd century AD...
.
In 1993, at the age of nineteen, he moved to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Three years later, he made his television debut as a dancer on the Canale 5 programme Quizzone. From 1997 to 2003, Kadiu was a regular dancer on the Buona Domenica variety show. This was followed by work on two popular programmes hosted by Maria De Filippi on Canale 5, C'e Posta Per Te and the Fame
Fame (2003 TV series)
Fame is a television series that ran on NBC in the summer of 2003. The show was essentially NBC's attempt to duplicate the success of mega-hit American Idol, right down to their selection of judges...
-based talent show Amici di Maria De Filippi.
Kadiu posed for the 2003 Calendar of the men's magazine Max. In 2004, Kadiu founded the Kledi Dance school in Rome. The following year, he starred in his first film Passo a Due, a semi-biographical movie directed by Andrea Barzini, where Kadiu portrays Beni, a young Albanian who arrives in Italy seeking fame and fortune as a dancer. He starred in another cinematographic film, La cura del gorilla, as well as a television mini-series which was broadcast by Rai Uno
Rai Uno
Rai 1 is the primary television station of RAI, the national public service broadcaster, and the most watched television channel in Italy. It was born as Rai Tv from 1954 to 1961, called Programma Nazionale from 1961 to 1979, after called Rete 1 from 1979 to 1982, then called Rai Uno from 1982 to...
in 2007. That same year, he performed in the ballet Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
, which was produced by the dance company Baletto di Roma.
Kadiu has been the recipient of two awards. In 2004, he received the Premio Gino Tani Award for Best Artist of the Year, and in 2006, he received the Ginestra d'Oro Award for Best Dancer of the Year.
In January 2009, Kadiu returned to Amici di Maria De Filippi where he is one of the regular dancers on the programme.
On 27 January 2009, Kadiu's autobiography, Meglio di una Favola (Better Than a Fairy-Tale), published by Mondadori, went on sale in Italy.
Personal life
In 2005, Kadiu was engaged to Desy Luccini, elected Miss Deborah Toscana, and also a finalist in the 2005 edition of the Miss Italy Beauty Pageant.In May 2008, Kadiu was physically assaulted and verbally-abused by a group of three men in a xenophobic
Xenophobia
Xenophobia is defined as "an unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange". It comes from the Greek words ξένος , meaning "stranger," "foreigner" and φόβος , meaning "fear."...
attack which took place inside his dance school in the Appio district of Rome. Although Kadiu was not seriously hurt, the attack was condemned by the city's mayor Gianni Alemanno.
At an official ceremony in the Palazzo del Quirinale presided over by Italian president Giorgio Napolitano
Giorgio Napolitano
Giorgio Napolitano is an Italian politician who has been the 11th President of Italy since 2006. A long-time member of the Italian Communist Party and later the Democrats of the Left, he served as President of the Chamber of Deputies from 1992 to 1994 and as Minister of the Interior from 1996 to...
, Kadiu became an Italian citizen in November 2008.
Filmography
- Passo a due (2005)
- La cura del gorilla (2006)
- Ma chi l'avrebbe mai detto (television mini-series, 2007)
Television
- Quizzone (1996)
- Buona Domenica (1997–2003)
- La Notte dei Telegatti (2001)
- C'e posta per te (2002–2007)
- Il ballo delle debuttanti (2008)
- Amici di Maria De Filippi (2002–2007, 2009)