A query sui generis in William Shakespeare`s Sonnets

Angel
A query sui generis in William Shakespeare’s Sonnets
choreography Charlotte Zerbey
dance Elisa Capecchi, Olimpia Fortuni, Isabella Giustina
music Spartaco Cortesi and Charlotte Zerbey
light Vincenzo Alterini
costumes Laura Dondoli
co-produced Company Blu / ALDES
supported by
MiBACT Ministero dei Beni Culturali e del Turismo and REGIONE TOSCANA
Angel is a female trio inspired by the Fair Youth, a key figure in many of William Shakespeare’s
Sonnets. The choreography jostles the idea of transformation freely playing with the movement
between identities, parts, roles, values and gender.
The beautiful Fair Youth in Shakespeare’s Sonnets is the subject/object of an “inspired and
profound” love, transpiring its indecipherable quality. This essence is similar to that of Grace,
pleasant yet fleeting. Here, this sensual quality reflects bright and clear in the scenic action, yet
also strikes into somewhat perturbing shadows. “Master mistress of my passion”, this figure is the
appeasement, which rules at the center of all conflict, “Till my bad angel fire my good one out”.
Thus the Fair Youth adjourns to an archetype of great charm, a higher being, androgynous,
longed for and desired by both genders, “Which steals men's eyes and women's souls amazeth”.
It’s a battlefield of primordial rights, of insinuating prejudices and hypocrisies, as also present in
the Elizabethan age, when young male actors portrayed feminine characters.
It’s an ethical and cultural topic, which is also object of current and broad debate.
THE MUSIC
The music for “Angel” is specifically composed for the piece putting to music Shakespeare’s
Sonnets in an adaption into song and verse, touching on different genres of melody, Beat, Rap
and poetic verse creating an original soundscape that intertwines storytelling with the mystery of
poetics.
Charlotte Zerbey
Choreographer, dancer, vocalist
has been active for over 25 years in contemporary dance in Italy, Europe and the United States.
After obtaining a traditional education in modern and classical dance at the University of Utah
from '79 to 82. In Europe since 83, Charlotte initially worked with the company Group / O Katie
Duck (I), then collaborated with "Gaby Agis and Co." (UK) " Company Hamilton " (UK), "Virgilio
Sieni" (I), "Sasha Waltz and Guests" (D).
In 1989 she co-founder director and choreographer with Alessandro Certini of Company Blu, (I). In
Since 2013 Company Blu has artistic direction of Dance at the Teatro della Limonaia Sesto
Fiorentino within the Project “Multiple Residence” supported by the Region of Tuscany.
Rewarded Danza & Danza in 2000 for the performance, “Tempesta di Sogni”, produced by
Armunia Festival Castiglioncello, Company Blu was present at international festivals such as
Rotterdam Fest., Dance Umbrella London, Festival De Dansa Post Modern Caracas, Festival / D
Werf in Utrecht, Les Esprits Mobiles in Paris, New York Improvisation Fest., L’Anaimal al’Esquegna
Girona, The Naked Stage Lujbjana, Tanz Tage Freiburg, Sic Festival Warsaw, ID Fest. Los Angeles,
Radial System Berlin, Milano Oltre, Fabbrica Europa Florence.
Charlotte’s dance work has transformed into a multidisciplinary expression of dance and textual
movement that uses song, poetry, oldies, rant… She often works in concert with musicians and
originally composed scores, and with meaning as it is communicated through gesture and text.
Her performance language is influenced by an interest in the emancipation of the body through
studies in vocal work, Contact Improvisation, Authentic Movement, and Traditional Chinese
Massage. Interest in also presenting gender related work began in 1998 in ‘Silenzi’, inspired by
Emily Dickenson’s poetry. Other collaborations have included improvisational projects along side
dancers: K. Duck, A. Certini, S. Paxton, P. DeGroot, J. Hamilton, K. Simson, N. S. Smith, A. Alessi,
L. Nelson.
Company Blu’s activities are supported by: the Ministry of Heritage and Culture, the Region of
Tuscany, Province of Florence and Institution Cultural Services of the Municipality of Sesto
Fiorentino. Company Blu also promotes the annual project DINAMICHE SCOMPOSTE with
performances, meetings, research laboratories, FUSIONI Improv.fest, ESSERE IN VOLO for
families, as well as the publication Shoptalk - Surveys on improvisation in contemporary dance.
Spartaco Cortesi
Musician, sound designer
works within multimedia contexts, using mainly electric instruments such as guitars, synthesizers
and software audio.
His activity as an author has developed since the early 90s in musical projects related to indie-rock
and electronic music. He has released five albums, two of which as a soloist with the pseudonym
of Yellowcake, published by the Belgium label KK Records in the mid 90s.
He currently produces music and soundscapes in projects ranging from theater and dance pieces
to video (broadcast/tv), installations and interactive systems.
Curriculum DANCERS
Elisa Capecchi
started dancing at 4 years old with Laura Andreani; and from the age of 6 at “Centro studi danza Grassina”,
directed by Maria Grazia Nicosia: classic with Maria Grazia, Nicosia, Annamaria Murrali, Myriam Naceri
(Operà de Paris). She received scholarships in 2004 for The Royal Ballet school - Conservatoire National
Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris; in 2007 for Festival Danza Primavera, the Silver Medal of
representing the Presidency of the Republic.
She has won competitions such as Eugene Polyakov 2004 (international competition, II° classified classic);
ABC Verona 2005 (I° classified classic); Eugene Polyakov 2006 (III° classified contemporary); Anna Pavlova
2009 (III° classified classic).
Elisa has worked in various projects with ALDES dance company directed by Roberto Castello since 2009
when she participated in four episodes of the television program of RAI 3 "Come Away With Me" by Fabio
Fazio and Roberto Saviano. She has worked with other choreographers such as Erdem Gündüz, Francesca
Harper, Terence Lewis, Mary Thais, Linda Kapetanea and Josef Frucek, Ko Murobushi, Adriana Borriello and
Antonella Talamonti, Pichet Klunchun, Geoffrey Cauley, Marga Nativo and Keith Ferrone.
Olimpia Fortuni
Obtained in 2008 a degree in Dance Theater at the “Paolo Grassi Acadamy of Dramatic Arts”. In 2010 she
concluded a 2-year training with Raffaella Giordano, after which she founded, along with other 11 artists,
Collective Famigliafuché. In 2010 she concluded a training course for professional dancers organized by
Operaestate, where she studied with Nigle Charnock, Yasmeen Godder, Emio Greco /PC (Mobile
Academy), Sharon Fridman, Simona Bertozzi, Carlotta Sagna, Adam Linder. In 2010 she studied at the
Company Dv8 physical theater in London.
She worked for German artist Tino Seghal in 2008, for the acting company Costanzo/Rustioni with the
theater company Arearea in Udine, with Valdoca Theater, with Samotracia dance Theater Company from
Lecco and Casa Strasse Company in Milan. Her own and her partner’s project “Viale dei Castagni 16”
participated at the NAO CREA Residency; at AROUND UOVO 2013 MILAN and at “Diversia Festival”
Kostroma (Russian) in 2014; It was awarded with the prize NEXT. At present she collaborates with
choreographers Giorgio Rossi and Raffaella Giordano, with Zerogrammi in Turin and Company Blu in
Florence.
Isabella Giustina
Born in Gorizia, she began studying dance in 1996. From 2007 to 2010 she attended the training course of
modern and contemporary dance and 2010-2011 the L.OF.T training course at the Opus Ballet of Florence.
In 2011-2012 she attended the training course of Nikolais technique with Simona Bucci and Paul Meredith.
In 2012-2013 she spent nine months in Brussels, where he studied with international choreographers and
followed company Ultima Vez. In 2013 Isabella participates in the Venice Biennale Dance and
Dance Everyone in the show directed by Virgilio Sieni. She studied with Carolyn Carlson, Atelier de Paris
and with German Jauregui in Florence and Brussels.
She danced in the performances Visitation (2011) and Locus (2012) directed by Virgilio Sieni. And has also
collaborated with: Company Gabriella Secchi (2012/2013), Company Giardino Chiuso directed by Patrizia
De Bari and Tucci Guicciardini and with Company Simona Bucci and is currently dancing with Company Blu
directed by Charlotte Zerbey and Alessandro Certini.
Promotion and Contacts:
Anna Estdahl for Company Blu
[email protected]
tel. +39 333 7508235
Company Blu
Via Cadorna 18, Sesto Fiorentino (FI)
www.companyblu.it
[email protected]
tel. +39 055 440265
photo’s by Enrico Gallina
1° study video by whitesootlab;
www.whitesootlab.com
3° study video by Bamcontainer;
www.bamcontainer.it