Productions and projects

Caravaggio is a two-act ballet created by acclaimed contemporary Italian choreographer Mauro Bigonzetti.
Originally created for the Staatsballett Berlin, directed by Vladimir Malakhov in 2008, the ballet is inspired by the works of the painter Caravaggio, Michelangelo Merisi (1571–1610). It serves as a tribute to the intense drama and theatricality of the great Italian artist, whose revolutionary paintings broke away from traditional models with an exceptional sensitivity and attention to the three-dimensional depiction of human nature—both physical and emotional.

Mauro Bigonzetti’s aim is to bring to the stage the complexity of Caravaggio’s persona, celebrating the facets that define both the man and the artist: on one side, his tormented inner world, driven by a deeply restless soul, and on the other, the narrative expressed through his art. Caravaggio, following the interrelation of these two aspects, thus becomes a psychological and dramatic ballet, whose dramaturgical “motifs” recur through solos, duets, trios, and quartets, interspersed with ensemble scenes that ease the tension and set the rhythm of an action fundamentally centered on the Caravaggesque self.

Thanks to the minimalist set design and lighting, masterfully crafted by Carlo Cerri, the union between these two worlds unfolds, enhancing the choreographic vision and elevating the movement of the dancers’ bodies.

The ballet is performed to music by Claudio Monteverdi, with selections from L’Orfeo, Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda, L’incoronazione di Poppea, and the Settimo libro dei madrigali. These are newly orchestrated into a symphonic score by the Italian composer and conductor Bruno Moretti.

The promoter and leading performer of Caravaggio is Roberto Bolle, the celebrated Étoile of Teatro Alla Scala, who since the beginning of his career has been an ambassador of Italian culture abroad and a master of ballet as an art form accessible to everyone. Thanks to Roberto Bolle and his production agency ARTEDANZAsrl, Caravaggio has premiered in Italy in May 2025, embarking on a tour that will reach Hong Kong in the spring of 2026.

Joining him in this ambitious project are some of the finest Italian and international solo dancers, along with a corps de ballet formed specifically for the production through auditions, involving around 30 freelance professional dancers. The creation of a company ad hoc for the performance further enriches the project’s significance—an entirely Italian ballet whose value lies not only in its artistic achievement, but in its realization as a powerful and memorable production.