Heart and Method: How Laura Lunetta is Transforming Italy into a Global Hub for DanceSport
ROME, ITALY — As the curtain fell on the successful 2026 WDSF Annual General Meeting (AGM) and anticipation builds for the upcoming Rome GrandSlam Series this October, the Eternal City successfully solidified its status as the heartbeat of international DanceSport. This historic legislative weekend coincided with a monumental milestone: the WDSF welcoming its 100th National Member Body and celebrating a top-three ranking in global sports governance.
At the absolute centre of this landmark weekend was Ms. Laura Lunetta. Operating as WDSF Vice President for Communication, President of FIDESM, and a member of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), Lunetta embodies a new era of sports leadership. Following the assembly, the WDSF team sat down with her to explore how she is combining the passion of an elite athlete with the rigorous precision of a sports scientist.
A Turning Point for the Mediterranean
For Italy, hosting the global DanceSport community in Rome was a calculated, strategic statement aimed at redefining the competitive and cultural boundaries of the sport across the region.
"Hosting the 2026 WDSF AGM and a stop on the GrandSlam Series in Rome holds strategic value for us that goes far beyond the prestige of the event itself," Lunetta explains. "First and foremost, it means confirming Italy’s role as a key hub for the entire international DanceSport movement, and in particular for the Mediterranean region, which is a natural crossroads of cultures, young people, and creativity."
Photo of Anastasia Glazunova and Alexey Glukhov during Internationali di Danza Sportiva in Rome last October.
Politically, the AGM allowed FIDESM to bring its extensive experience in governance and its strong connection with the Italian Olympic system to the forefront of the international movement. However, Lunetta's ultimate vision is rooted in the long-term structural legacy left behind.
"The legacy I hope to leave is twofold," Lunetta reflects. "On the one hand, an infrastructural and organizational legacy: replicable event models, shared protocols, and training systems made available to federations in the Mediterranean region. On the other hand, a cultural legacy: reinforcing the idea that DanceSport is an extraordinary tool for dialogue, youth inclusion, and promoting Olympic values. I would like Rome 2026 to be remembered as a turning point." - said Laura Lunetta
The Multidisciplinary Revolution
Under Lunetta’s stewardship, the federation underwent a radical evolution, rebranding itself as the Italian Federation of Dance Sport and Musical Sports (FIDESM) to mirror the WDSF’s global push into diverse competitive landscapes.
"The decision to broaden the federation’s identity, becoming the Italian Federation of Dance Sport and Musical Sports, responds to a very clear vision," Lunetta notes. "It is about recognizing that our ecosystem is not made up solely of individual disciplines, but of a continuum of expressive practices that unite movement, music, performance, and competition."
This multidisciplinary shift targets three core strategic objectives: faithfully representing young practitioners who naturally explore multiple styles (from Standard or Latin, to Breaking or Hip Hop), engaging more effectively with public institutions to secure government and European funding, and partnering with educational and cultural ministries to recognize competitive dance as contemporary cultural heritage.
"In short, rather than a mere sum of disciplines, we aim to be a coordinated system that generates sporting, social, and cultural value. This is what convinces institutions to invest in us over the medium to long term."
Where Heart and Method Converge
What makes Lunetta’s executive style so uniquely effective is her dual background as a former elite athlete and a scholar of sports physiology, leading her to view every governance decision through a dual lens.
"On one hand, there is the experience lived on the dance floor: the grueling training, the pressure, the daily sacrifices," Lunetta states. "On the other, there is the rigorous approach of sports science: data, evidence, prevention protocols, long-term planning. These two dimensions influence federal governance in very concrete ways."
This convergence drives structural welfare policies that protect the human being behind the numbers, focusing on injury prevention, load management for younger athletes, and career transitions, aligning deeply with the athlete welfare panels held during the WDSF Global Forum.
"When defining regulations and schedules, my scientific background leads me to always ask: Is this choice sustainable for the athletes’ bodies and minds? Ultimately, I strive to combine the passion of a former athlete with the evidence-based approach of a scientist. Governance thus becomes the place where heart and method converge to provide athletes with the best possible conditions."
The Blueprint for Olympic Recognition
With the WDSF celebrating its stellar A1 rating in the ARISF Governance Review, Lunetta’s successful consolidation of DanceSport within CONI serves as an invaluable masterclass for National Member Bodies worldwide. For federations working to improve their institutional standing, Lunetta shares a blueprint built on strict compliance, strategic partnerships, and structural modernization.
True integration, she notes, begins with aligning strictly with good Olympic governance standards through transparent bylaws and clear administrative protocols. However, federations must also learn to present hard data on national membership reach, school inclusion, and public health impact alongside podium results, as National Olympic Committees are increasingly sensitive to the wider societal value of sport.
Furthermore, she emphasizes the necessity of building internal alliances by executing joint projects with other national sports bodies, alongside investing heavily in staff professionalization and sound fiscal planning to engage on equal footing with institutional leaders.
"In our case, our positioning within CONI was the result of a long, consistent, and concerted effort," Lunetta notes. "Every federation can follow this path if it places good governance at the center of its project."
Horizons 2028: Inclusivity and Elite Innovation
Following her recent re-election through 2028, Lunetta is utilizing this institutional stability to aggressively build the sport's future rather than managing the status quo.
"The re-election supported so widely gives us a clear responsibility to build, not just to manage," Lunetta states firmly. "Looking ahead to 2028, I have three very clear priorities: aggressive grassroots development across schools, total institutional equity by increasing women in technical and leadership roles, and consolidating centers of excellence like our upcoming state-of-the-art national facility in Rimini."
FIDESM will invest heavily in the joint training of athletes, coaches, and judges, utilizing premier events like the upcoming Rome GrandSlam as a direct driver of internal growth and international assessment.
"I envision a FIDESM that is even more deeply rooted in the region, more inclusive, and more competitive on the global stage," Lunetta concludes. "A federation capable of fulfilling its strategic role while remaining true to the values that have guided me: passion, integrity, long-term vision, and service to the community."
This progressive vision from the host nation sets a clear benchmark for the global movement, a sentiment strongly echoed by WDSF President Shawn Tay:
"Driving DanceSport forward requires this combination of solid governance and multidisciplinary inclusion." — Mr. Shawn Tay, WDSF President
As the international community departs the Eternal City, Italy leaves behind much more than a successful legislative weekend. Through a brilliant fusion of science and passion, Laura Lunetta has proven that the future of DanceSport relies entirely on the responsibility, method, and heart of those who lead it.
WDSF President Mr. Shawn Tay with Ms. Laura Lunetta during Internationali di Danza Sportiva last October.
Photos by Azzurra Balistreri and PhotoImmagineDance
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