CATANIA promoted by Public Scenario/Center of Significant National Interest recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Contemporary Catania/FIC Festival, comes at the 5th edition.
A review curated by Roberto Zappalà(to whom we dedicate the cover story of the May issue on newsstands) which, in 10 days, from 3 to 12 May transforms Catania into a stage for contemporary dance open to meeting others disciplines, such as music, theatre, cinema and visual artsthanks to the involvement of numerous partners for a real celebration spread across the heart of the city.
FIC, in its acronym “Focus of Creative Infection”, intends to focus precisely on the widespread diffusion of art, which like an infection expands and reproduces. The Festival it becomes like this hotbed of creativity and participation and a precious opportunity to strengthen the artistic network thanks to the involvement of reality as important as the Massimo Bellini Theatre – with which Scenario Pubblico has activated the rich three-year memorandum of understanding Be resident: dance in the city – Isola Cultural Hub, the Etnea Musical Association, the Brodbeck Foundation, the Città Teatro Association, the Oelle Foundation, Cinema King.
The safety pin is the symbol of this edition of the festival as a symbol of union between traditional institutions and contemporary bodies. From this perspective of involvement of space and citizenship, an important role is undoubtedly played by the choice of places, cultural symbols of the city and points of meeting place: the events take place at Scenario Pubblico, at the Teatro Massimo Bellini, at the Teatro Sangiorgi, among the exhibitions of the Brodbeck Foundation, at Isola Catania, the Cinema King, at Palazzo Biscari, the external spaces of the Palazzo della Cultura/Cortile Platamone and, again, in the stretch of road that is symbolic for the people of Catania which winds through the very busy via Etnea and Piazza Università.
The program of this edition is structured around the specific theme of Recovery and protection of the contemporary repertoire and the valorization of creative roots in a rich succession of shows and performances by guest companies, photographic and artistic exhibitions, screenings and much more, like a workshop that aims to transfer to participants the language and repertoire of some of the most interesting European choreographers.
It opens Friday 3 May at 4.30pm with the impressive urban parade The Swan’s Road by the collective SicilyMadewith beyond 200 participants in the city center, along Via Etnea. At 9.00pm goes on stage the historic show Instrument Jam from the Zappalà Danza Company at the Sangiorgi Theater in collaboration with the Massimo Bellini Theatre, on music by Puccio Castrogiovanni performed live.
Saturday 4 May h. 6.30pm at Scenario Pubblico Roberto Zappalà opens the tests of his new creation to the public Le Sacre du Printemps (from Ecstasy Trilogy). The Massimo Bellini Theater hosts the symphony concert of the well-known musician at 8.30 pm Giovanni Sollima which, together with the Orchestra of the same Theatre, he interprets Frank Zappa. During the interval, the CZD2 dancers will perform performative incursions in the foyer of the theatre.
Sunday 5 Mayin collaboration with the Cinema Kingthe screening of David Mambouch’s documentary is scheduled The urgency to act (4.00 pm) around the figure of one of the prestigious names in contemporary choreography, Maguy Marin. The screening will be preceded by a presentation by Maria Luisa Buzzi, director of Danza&Danza. The French choreographer’s open preview of the new creation is proposed in the spaces of Scenario Pubblico Grosse Fugue (7.00 pm) performed by MM Contemporary Dance Company. At 9.00 pm to close the day in the context of the great Italian repertoire it could not be missed Virgilo Sieni with one of his historical works entitled Only Goldberg Variationswith music performed live by the pianist Andrea Rebaudengo.
Tuesday 7 Maythe Brodbeck Foundation hosts the Turin company at 7.30 pm EgriBianco Dance with the site-specific project Choreophonies The Sacred and at 8.30pmGiovanni Calcagno puts it on stage The Cyclops in lovewith the participation of the musician Puccio Castrogiovanni and the dancers of the Compagniazappalàdanza2 (premiere).
Wednesday 8 May at 9.00 pm a major international guest arrives at Scenario Pubblico reliefthe French Olivier Dubois with the hilarious and globally successful show My body of coming forth by daypreceded at 7.30pm by the screening of Anaglyph, historical 1994 production of the then Balletto di Sicilia (now CZD).
Thursday 9 May at the Sangiorgi Theatre, in collaboration with the Bellini of Catania, is expected Bastard Sunday of another historical name of Italian dance, Enzo Cosimiwhich returns to the Catania scene after several years of absence.
Friday 10 May, Palazzo Biscari, one of the oldest palaces in Catania, hosts the performance in the sumptuous Salone delle Feste, a splendid example of Rococo style. Save the last dance for me. This is a project with which the artist Leone d’Oro Alessandro Sciarroni he recovered and reconstructed the historical dance of the polka chinata. At 9.00 pm at Scenario Pubblico, the chef Carmelo Chiaramonte and director Gianni Salvo present the show The futurist table – with live music by Giovanni Seminerio and dance by Modem Atelier – of which a first version was proposed in 2009 at the University of Letters of New York and at Princeton for the centenary of Futurism.
Saturday 11 May at 7.00 pm preview of an open rehearsal of Gisellə (study)new creation of the companynia Cornelia inspired by the romantic ballet par excellence. TOIt closes at 9.30pm Agamemnon – criminal case from the Petranuradanza Company historical choreography by Laura Odierna and Salvatore Romania.
Sunday 12 May at 5.30 pm at the Teatro Massimo Bellini the world premiere of 4 Seasons (jubileum version)an award-winning 2013 creation by the Brazilian choreographer Samir Calixto on the music of Four Seasons by Vivaldi. After 10 years the opera is revived in a new version, accompanied by the orchestra of the same theater conducted by Dino de Palma and co-produced by Scenario Pubblico and Fondazione Matter Affects (NL), in collaboration with the Teatro Massimo Bellini.
The closing of the festival at the Cortile Platamone is entrusted to the high-impact concert The Art of Taiko (9.00 pm) dei Munedaiko, a musical group dedicated to the art of traditional Japanese percussion. In the overwhelming performance the taiko stimulate the musicians’ bodies as if in a dance.
And again, thanks to the collaboration of Brodbeck Foundation, of Isola Catania and the Oelle Foundation scheduled photographic exhibitions, installations, in various spaces of the city, including exhibitions Memories of Etna, Memories of Sicily Of Alfio Bonanno And The Gold of Distance Of Francesco Balsamo And the installations of Tony Cragg, Esther Klaes and Richard Long.
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