Productions and projects
ROBERTO BOLLE IN CARAVAGGIO
by Mauro Bigonzetti
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ITALY, THE EXTRAORDINARY BALLET THAT DEBUTED IN GERMANY IN 2008
FROM MAY 9 TO 11, 2025, AT THE TEATRO DEL MAGGIO MUSICALE FIORENTINO AND FROM MAY 15 TO 21, 2025, AT THE TEATRO ARCIMBOLDI IN MILAN
For the first time in Italy, the extraordinary ballet Caravaggio by Mauro Bigonzetti, eagerly awaited as a special event, will be performed from May 9 to 11 at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, as part of the 87th edition of the Festival, and immediately after, from May 15 to 21, at the TAM Teatro Arcimboldi in Milan. The project’s promoter and lead performer of Caravaggio is the renowned La Scala étoile Roberto Bolle, an ambassador of Italian culture worldwide and a spokesperson for promoting ballet as an accessible art form for all. Alongside him will be some of the best international soloist dancers, as well as a company of dancers selected for the occasion through auditions.
This is an all-Italian project – created in 2008 for the Staatsballett Berlin, directed by Vladimir Malakhov – envisioned by Bigonzetti, a highly acclaimed Italian choreographer in the contemporary scene, to the music of composer and conductor Bruno Moretti, who provided a new symphonic orchestration of works by Claudio Monteverdi, including selections from Orfeo, Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda, Incoronazione di Poppea, and the Settimo libro dei madrigali.
The work is powerful and memorable, inspired by the paintings of Italian artist Caravaggio, Michelangelo Merisi (1571-1610). Bigonzetti highlights the complexity of Caravaggio’s character, celebrating the aspects that make up both the man and the artist. On one side, there is his troubled inner world, marked by a particularly restless soul; on the other, the expression of his art. Caravaggio, following the interplay of these two aspects, becomes a psychological and dramatic ballet, with recurring “notes” in the solos, duets, trios, and quartets, interspersed with choral scenes that relieve the tension and propel the action, which is fundamentally centered on the Caravaggesque self. Thanks to the essential set design and lighting, masterfully created by Carlo Cerri, the union of these two worlds is enhanced, showcasing the choreographic thought and emphasizing the movement of the dancers’ bodies.
Caravaggio, choreographed by Mauro Bigonzetti, is a production in collaboration between the Fondazione Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and ARTEDANZASRL, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and the contribution of Intesa Sanpaolo. The lighting design for the performance is by Carlo Cerri.
LA GIOIA DI DANZARE
Nicoletta Manni & Timofej Andrijashenko with the dancers of Teatro Alla Scala (Milan)
ARTISTIC DIRECTORS: NICOLETTA MANNI, TIMOFEJ ANDRIJASHENKO
PRODUCTION: ARTEDANZAsrl
Named Étoile of the Teatro Alla Scala in 2023, Nicoletta Manni, alongside her husband and principal dancer Timofej Andrijashenko, presents an unprecedented show that helps bring the beauty of great dance to the Italian public. In collaboration with the extraordinary dancers of the Teatro Alla Scala, she intends to share her joy of dancing in a varied and unique evening.
An original show, rich in new proposals and high-level artistic collaborations, it debuted in Lecce in 2024 with outstanding success from both critics and the public.
“La Gioia di Danzare” (The Joy of Dancing) revisits the ultimate meaning of Nicoletta’s eponymous book (2023), which traces her life inevitably intertwined with dance through a declaration of love for ballet that is also a journey of freedom and self-discovery.
The program features excerpts from timeless classics such as Grand Pas Classique, Carmen, Swan Lake, and Le Corsaire, alongside engaging more contemporary pieces.
An evening that will amaze and move the audience through the technical skill and interpretive strength of the finest dancers of the most prestigious Italian ballet company.
ROBERTO BOLLE AND FRIENDS
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: ROBERTO BOLLE
PRODUCTION: ARTEDANZAsrl
Roberto Bolle, one of the greatest and most acclaimed ballet stars internationally, conceived Roberto Bolle and Friends as a unique performance. No other dancer today can afford to select their favorite pieces and perform them alongside the best dancers of the moment, gathered from the leading theaters around the world. The declared goal of this Gala is to spread the art of great dance, retracing a century and a half of ballet history over the course of a single evening.
For his Gala, Roberto Bolle assembles a prestigious group of étoile dancers, selecting them from the most famous international names, renowned in the best ballet companies worldwide. He personally chooses the pieces for his performance each time, selecting from the most beloved classical repertoire and the most celebrated 20th-century works, but not only that: in recent years, the Maestro has also ventured into digital experimentation, exploring new synergies between dance and technology. It is in this fusion of the classical with the ultra-modern and experimental that Roberto Bolle has found his distinctive and inimitable style.
Roberto Bolle has brought the Gala to places never before reached by any dancer: the square of Milan’s Cathedral and Piazza del Plebiscito in Naples, where he was followed by thousands of people. But also to many other outdoor locations in Italy, such as the Colosseum and the Baths of Caracalla in Rome, the Arena di Verona, the Ancient Theatre of Taormina, and – more recently – the Royal Palace of Caserta, as well as the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, the Charterhouse of Capri, the Boboli Gardens in Florence, Torre del Lago Puccini, and Piazza San Marco in Venice.