On September 4, I shared the stage with a number of musicians, an actress, a poet, and a movie screen displaying paintings. The artistic team represented at least 4 countries and poetry was performed both in Russian and Italian. Everything about the event was original and unique with many debut pieces, but what made it “unconventional” was the fact that the majority of the new work was created via Zoom and then translated to the stage for a live audience. At this point, I’ve had the pleasure of dancing in several online performances in a range of modalities – with pre-recorded as well as live-streamed experiences. However, this particular construction made me flash back to 2008 when I was living in England. It was a time when dancing via the internet was an unknown. And yet, I learned elements of a solo I’d never performed before via Skype – the choreographer in a studio in NY and me in my tiny flat in England. It reminded me that part of the beauty of what the arts teach us is to adapt, to be flexible, and to be open to new ways and ideas about how to do things.
I share with you this video to give you glimpses from the premiere of the work presented at Villa Thiene in Quinto Vicentino, Italy (UNESCO heritage site).
Before you watch, here is the composer’s artistic concept for the evening to set the mood –
“Movimenti a Forma di Luna” è uno spettacolo che tenta di condurvi verso una percezione totale. È una sorta di operazione sinestetica in cui si ascolta il suono dei colori e si inspirano le parole inebriate dai gesti che profumano di poesia. Ogni musica è nata dalla suggestione, dal ricordo, dalla metamorfosi di spunti espressivi e sensoriali a loro volta generati e rigenerati nel fluire sonoro.
– Giorgio Bernabò, Compositore e Ideatore del progetto
In essence-
“Movements in the shape of the Moon” is a performance that attempts to guide you toward a “total perception.” A sort of synesthetic journey, listening to the sound of colors and inhaling words intoxicated by gestures scented by poetry. Each song was born from the fascination, the memory, from the metamorphosis of spurts of expression and sensation, created and recreated in the flow of sound.
Credits: Composer – Giorgio Bernabò Dancer – Lorienne Beals Flute – Fabio Pupillo Clarinet – Luigi Marasca Bassoon – Laura Costa Piano – Andrea Miazzon Piano – Jelena Vjestica Narrator – Franca Grimaldi Poetry and Narration in Russian – Julia Pikalova Poetry Translation from Russian to Italian – Paolo Statuti Choreographic Contributions – Barbara Canal and Michela Negro Paintings (projected) – Lucia Marzotto Sound Technician – Marco Artolozzi Lighting Technician – Gianni Faccin Videographer – Alessandro Perin Video editing by Giorgio Bernabò