Giada Lini is an Italian professional dancer, choreographer, and television dance instructor best known for her appearances on Ballando con le Stelle, Italy’s version of Dancing with the Stars. She is also married to Graziano Di Prima, the former Strictly Come Dancing professional. However, her career extends far beyond that celebrity connection, encompassing national dance championships, international theatre productions and years of television work.
In October 2026, Lini returned to the spotlight as the professional partner of former Italian footballer Alessandro Matri on Ballando con le Stelle. Their performances introduced her to a new television audience while continuing a career that began long before she became widely recognized through her marriage.
Her story shows how competitive training, international experience, and family involvement in dance have shaped a successful professional life.
Quick Bio
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Giada Lini |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Profession | Professional dancer, choreographer and dance instructor |
| Dance Speciality | Latin American and showdance |
| Major Television Work | Amici, Strictly Come Dancing, Ballando con le Stelle |
| International Production | Burn the Floor |
| Professional Achievement | Nine-time Italian Showdance Champion |
| Husband | Graziano Di Prima |
| Marriage Year | 2022 |
| Brother | Leonardo Lini |
| 2025 Dance Partner | Fabio Fognini |
| 2026 Dance Partner | Alessandro Matri |
| Dance School | International Dance Bassano |
Who Is Giada Lini Beyond Her Marriage to Graziano Di Prima?
Although British entertainment coverage frequently introduces Lini as Graziano Di Prima’s wife, she has an established professional identity within the international ballroom and Latin dance community.
Her professional profile with Burn the Floor describes her as a nine-time Italian Showdance Champion who represented Italy in international competitions. She was also a finalist in freestyle Latin events at the 2013 and 2014 world championships in China.
These achievements help explain her transition from competitive dancing to professional television and theatre productions. Dance competitions demand technical accuracy, physical preparation, musical interpretation, and the ability to perform under pressure. That experience laid the foundation for her later work teaching celebrities and performing before large audiences.
Rather than entering entertainment primarily through celebrity relationships, Lini built her reputation through years of professional training and performance.
Giada Lini Early Dance Training and Family Background
Dance has been central to Lini’s family life. In a published interview, she discussed growing up with parents closely involved in dance education and in running International Dance Bassano.
Her early environment offered exposure to professional training, but family involvement did not eliminate the demands of competition. She has spoken about the sacrifices required to develop her abilities, including balancing education with extensive practice and giving up leisure time.
That dedication eventually led to recognition in Italian showdance competitions and opportunities to perform internationally.
The relationship between family and professional dance has continued into her adult career. Her younger brother, Leonardo Lini, is also a professional dancer, and both siblings joined the cast of Ballando con le Stelle in 2026.
From Amici to International Theatre Productions
An important stage in Lini’s career came through Amici di Maria De Filippi, the Italian entertainment program associated with singer and dancer development.
She worked as a professional Latin American dancer on the program for approximately three years. The experience brought her into a television environment where performers had to combine technical ability with the demands of broadcast entertainment.
Her professional opportunities later extended beyond Italy through Burn the Floor, an international ballroom and Latin dance production known for theatrical performances and touring.
According to her professional biography, she joined the Burn the Floor family in 2014. She performed in London’s West End and on tours in Australia, the United Kingdom, and Japan.
The production helped connect her competitive background with stage performance. Theatre work requires dancers to maintain technique while developing the presence and adaptability needed to engage audiences night after night.
This international experience became a defining feature of her professional career.
Did Giada Lini Appear on Strictly Come Dancing?
Lini has appeared in professional dance performances on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. However, her role should not be confused with that of a regular professional partnered with a celebrity contestant throughout an entire series.
Her Burn the Floor biography records appearances from 2018, including performances associated with Blackpool and Musicals Week.
These appearances exposed her to British television viewers and linked her professional experience to one of the UK’s best-known entertainment programs.
Her husband, Graziano Di Prima, had a more established role on the program, joining its professional line-up in 2018 and subsequently working with celebrity contestants.
Both dancers therefore have connections to British television, but their individual roles and achievements should be distinguished.
Giada Lini Success on Ballando con le Stelle
Lini’s work on Ballando con le Stelle has become an especially important part of her public career.
She appeared as a professional dancer on the Italian program in 2021 and 2022 and continued working on subsequent editions.
One significant achievement came during the 2025 season, when she partnered former professional tennis player Fabio Fognini.
Their performances carried them into the competition’s final stages. At the end of the season in December 2025, Fognini and Lini finished joint third with Barbara D’Urso and Pasquale La Rocca.
That result was an important television achievement for Lini, showing her ability to guide a celebrity from another sport through a demanding dance competition.
Teaching an accomplished athlete can present challenges different from teaching a complete beginner. Physical fitness and competitive experience may help, but ballroom performance requires specialized posture, rhythm, partnering, and movement patterns.
Her partnership with Fognini showed how her skills extend beyond performing to training and guiding another person through the demands of televised dance.
Giada Lini and Alessandro Matri in 2026
The 2026 season brought another sporting personality into Lini’s professional life when she was paired with former footballer Alessandro Matri.
The partnership was confirmed ahead of the new season, which began on Rai 1 in October.
Their opening performance on October 3 attracted positive attention, with Rai reporting that Matri’s first appearance surprised the judges.
During their second appearance, the pair performed a tango that drew further praise for Matri’s developing posture and musicality.
Their third appearance, on October 17, featured a salsa. They finished eighth in that episode’s overall classification, with all 13 competing couples remaining in the competition.
The partnership has also attracted attention because Matri’s partner, television personality Federica Nargi, previously competed on the program in 2024.
For Lini, the assignment offers another chance to demonstrate the qualities required of a television dance instructor: technical knowledge, creativity, patience, and an understanding of how different personalities learn.
As of October 21, 2026, the season remains in progress, so its outcome is not yet known.
Giada Lini and Graziano Di Prima’s Marriage
Lini’s relationship with Graziano Di Prima is another reason British audiences recognize her name.
The two Italian dancers met through the professional dance world, and an early joint interview identified Amici as where their paths crossed.
Their relationship grew alongside demanding careers that included international travel, theatre productions, and television commitments.
Di Prima proposed to Lini during a Burn the Floor performance in May 2019.
The couple originally planned to marry in Sicily in July 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic disrupted those arrangements. They eventually married in Sicily in 2022, and British entertainment magazine OK! covered their wedding.
Their relationship has remained a subject of public interest because both have worked in ballroom entertainment.
In an October 2026 interview with Vanity Class, Lini continued to refer to Di Prima as her husband. She also discussed the shared professional experiences that connected him to her brother and their broader dancing careers.
The interview provides more recent confirmation of their marriage than older celebrity profiles.
A Professional Dance Career Shared With Her Brother
One distinctive feature of the 2026 edition of Ballando con le Stelle is that both Giada and Leonardo Lini participate as professional dancers.
While Giada has partnered Alessandro Matri, Leonardo joined the program alongside actress Anna Safroncik.
Their involvement reflects the strong connection between their family background and the Italian entertainment industry.
In her October 2026 interview, Lini also discussed her continuing work with International Dance Bassano, explaining that she returns to the school when she is not occupied with television commitments in Rome.
Her work therefore includes more than performing for television audiences. Dance instruction and developing performers remain part of her professional activities.
She has also spoken about the difficulties of establishing a career in television dance, emphasizing the importance of professional experience, auditions and opportunities rather than presenting success as automatic.
Conclusion
Giada Lini has developed a substantial career through competitive dance, international theatre and Italian television.
Her nine Italian showdance titles, years with Burn the Floor, appearances on Strictly Come Dancing and success on Ballando con le Stelle demonstrate a professional record that deserves attention independently of her marriage to Graziano Di Prima.
With a joint-third-place finish alongside Fabio Fognini in 2025 and a new partnership with Alessandro Matri in 2026, she continues to build on that experience. Her story is ultimately one of professional commitment, family involvement and a career sustained through years of work in the dance industry.
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FAQs
1. Who is Giada Lini?
Giada Lini is an Italian professional dancer, choreographer and television dance instructor. She is recognized for her work on Ballando con le Stelle, Burn the Floor and professional performances associated with Strictly Come Dancing.
2. Is Giada Lini still married to Graziano Di Prima?
Yes. In an October 2026 interview, Lini referred to Graziano Di Prima as her husband. They married in Sicily in 2022.
3. Who is Giada Lini dancing with in 2026?
Giada Lini is partnered with former Italian professional footballer Alessandro Matri on the 2026 edition of Ballando con le Stelle.
4. What did Giada Lini achieve on Ballando con le Stelle in 2025?
Giada Lini partnered former tennis player Fabio Fognini. They reached the final stages and finished in joint third place.
5. Is Leonardo Lini related to Giada Lini?
Yes. Leonardo Lini is her younger brother and a professional dancer. Both siblings joined the professional cast of Ballando con le Stelle in 2026.
