“It is a great privilege to be able to dance this symbolic ballet by Béjart with the company for which it was created and which continues to stage its repertoire around the world, celebrating it in the best possible way. Bolero it is an iconic choreography that has remained in the collective imagination and is one of the masterpieces of 20th century dance”. Roberto Bolle returns to Maurice Béjart’s cult ballet at the Teatro degli Arcimboldi in Milan. On stage, together with him for the first time in Italy, the company founded by the great choreographer of the twentieth century protagonist of a triptych on stage until 17 May: Alors on dance… ! by Gil Roman 7 danses grecques And Bolero by Maurice Bejart. We met the star in the dressing room, just before the show, and he also told us something about the upcoming events that will see him as a protagonist.
Have you discovered new aspects in preparing the Bolero with the company carrying on the name of Maurice Béjart?
Well definitely, it’s one of those ballets where every time you play it you discover something new. It was important for me to work with Gil Roman who is now director of the company and who has danced all of Béjart’s repertoire.
It’s a role you danced for the first time at the Teatro alla Scala five years ago. How has it changed since then?
There’s something really special about going into that part. Getting on the red table, starting to dance to that music, in that musical crescendo, is truly something that is always a challenge, a surprise… it gives you that adrenaline and that anxiety at the same time. It is truly a discovery every time. But that’s the beauty of Bolero: it’s unpredictable!
Luciana Savignano was one of the greatest interpreters of Bolero in the history of dance, did he give you any advice?
With Luciana there is a beautiful relationship. We even worked together on some rehearsals. From her I got this freedom, this sensuality, this elegance in interpreting Bolero; therefore sensual but never vulgar. This was her teaching her and then… seeing her move, seeing her arms, her body. Well, that alone is inspiring.
Is the musical repetition of Ravel’s score the key to the choreography?
The repeating melody is central to this ballet. The musical crescendo leads you, in an almost obsessive way, to make this pathos grow more and more and little by little with the boys who slowly get up from their chairs and join this dance which is full of eroticism, sensuality, power , of energy. So, it’s really an inseparable link between the choreography and the music and that’s the great strength of the ballet.
Will you return to the Arcimboldi with your friends? Last year the tour started from here…
This year the Bubbles and Friends he will resume in July with Caracalla, then Florence, at the Arena di Verona, in Genoa at the Parchi di Nervi and again at the Greek theater in Taormina. And then, we’ll be back here at the Arcimboldi again for other dates in October. A theater, this, to which I am truly attached. My second Milanese home to which I return every year to offer something new to the public.
In addition to the summer galas, OnDance has also become a tradition, the dance festival that you yourself created and which culminated last year with a “blank” lesson in Piazza del Duomo. Will you repeat it this year?
The intention is to do OnDance again from 7 to 10 September and also re-propose this wonderful lesson that many kids were unable to attend because, let’s say we had a limited number (laughs, ed) of 1600 students of dance schools from all over Italy. Therefore, this year we have expanded the number and we will try to be more than 2,000 people for a great dance lesson, a great injection of beauty, of aesthetics, but also a message to truly support dance and say that we are here, long live dance !
Is there any news on the table that has been opened at the Ministry?
By changing the government, we started all over again. But the hope is that something is moving also because the Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano said that he is working on the reopening of ballet companies.
Source-tg24.sky.it