Francesca Mariano (also Francesca Heart, Serpentine Dance) is a movement and sound artist, somatic practitioner, with volcanic and marine origins in Southern Italy. She trained in post-modern dance and dance movement therapy with Anna Halprin at Tamalpa Institute. Her practice develops through hydro-feminist research, mythological acoustics and landscape choreology. Her work has been described by Pitchfork as ""a constantly unfurling tide of melodies spilling out in all directions at once while feeling eternally, peacefully still"" .She is the creatrix of the dance projects Invocations (Water Info Transmission) and Archaeo-Choreology. In 2020 she co-founded Nuova Atlantide. Since 2016 she runs Serpentine Dance Studio, a private studio in Milano & Online which works with movement and voice in their therapeutic potential. Alongside personal projects, she works on musical and choreographic compositions for documentaries, fashion and film. She is part of the selected Shape+ artist platform 2023/24 and was supported in 2020/21 by Room to Bloom, a platform for eco-feminist and post-colonialist artists.

She has presented her work in various venues and institutions including Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Museo MADRE, the University of California Santa Barbara, Istituto Svizzero, CTM Festival, Rewire Festival, de Young Museum, Nextones, the AA School of Architecture, Leaving Records, Club to Club festival & more."