Umbra Solis

In the last 4 months I have been involved in a dense research period with choreographer Gabriella Maiorino, the Dancer Valentina Campora and a group of talented young dancers, to develop a new dance performance for Dansmaker Amsterdam.

The work of Gabriella is fascinating, and has been very interesting for me to be exposed to so many inputs and technical skills, not only by her but by the whole team. A great learning opportunity for me.

Viceversa it was for me very tempting to put into the process all I had in my mind about intention, duration, rythm, inner expression and form… And see without the pressure of directing what could be of use.

The first outcome of the work, a presentation called Supernova 1 &2 will be presented the 5th of July in premiere at over het Ij festival in Amsterdam.

You are all welcome to come to giva a look!

Come, see and judge by yourself. Then please if you like tell me were you recognize my hand, I don’t know anymore

Pre-performance: “La Scala” (the staircase), on music of Alberto Novello…
The LED light is directly moved by the sound and and natural elements (rocks, water, sand) are used for constructing all the textures of sounds thaf feed into the drone-like composition.
Elisa Battistuta and Miguel Hernandez performed live. The sound has been cured by Michael Dotolo.

La Scala (the staircase) from Umbra SOlis on Vimeo.

Rooting-Sotto la radice

By Federico Bonelli e Benedetta Mazzotti, performed by Eleonora Cantarini, Benedetta Mazzotti and Giovanna Rovedo. Voice (in italian version) Valeria Bianchi, (the dutch version) Mareille Labohm. Maraille also made the very poetic translation of the text in dutch.

In this first fragment we see the girl, Kore, interpreted by Giovanna Rovedo.

The second fragment illustrates the inner position of the prisoner of Ades, the king of the underword. She has been abducted, segregated, and she mutates from Kore to Persephone.

Rooting – Sequence 02: Proserpina from Umbra SOlis on Vimeo.

Benedetta Mazzotti dances her own choreography for “Sotto la Radice” and awakes into the underworld.

The footage comes from the actual performances in Amsterdam Melkweg theater, and from the character forming and movement research sessions done together with Benedetta in the previous periods.

In particular some of the sounds, like the bells, come from Sardinia and have been recorded in Orroli (SS) during the residencie with Claudia Castellucci by Benedetta.
The final small sequence in this clip, were the titles flow, is a hint to another finale for the performance. I have added it to wish that to every trip as such, no matter why you find yourself in need to pass through the underworld, you will get to to a perfect exit to the other side. In the honey dripping sunset of our real life.

Benedetta Mazzotti dances Proserpina.
Choreography by Benedetta
Direction Federico Bonelli
Video by Federico Bonelli, Francesco Cavaliere and Victor Nieuwenhuis

TRIVIA: This version of the clip came out by chance exactly 6’22″ seconds and 11 frames, the exact measure of maximum length that i magically computed for Cinema Solubile in 2004.

A third fragment includes the solo of Eleonora Canterini, as Ecate, the iron queen of the underworld…

Film credits:
Images shot by Francesco Cavaliere and Victor Nieuwenhuis,
Editing and extra video Federico Bonelli,
Live Sound recording by Michael Dotolo