He, Benjamin Millepied, the cult choreographer of the international stage (he worked with director Aronofsky in the film “Black Swan”, with Natalie Portman, who later became his wife), came to dance “because he always dreamed of music.” Another, Alexandre Tarot, a leading exponent of French pianism and the world, had hoped to become a dancer as a child, “but I was not gifted and I am happy that I decided to become a musician, otherwise at my age I would have already retired.”
NEW YORK CITY BALLET
After years of chasing each other with dream projects (and many never came to fruition), the two French artists meet again at the Roman theater in Spoleto for the meeting that closes the first weekend of the festival dei Due Mondi. This evening, Sunday 25, they present “Unstill Life”, a duet “where something dances in the way Taro moves his hands across the keyboard, and the movements on stage are inspired by the songs we have chosen together,” Millepied explains. born in Bordeaux and raised in Senegal, was a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet and later choreographer at the Paris Opera.
MARRIAGE TO NATALIE PORTMANGE
Interpreter of many works by Jerome Robbins, author of titles for his personal troupe, unsurprisingly called Danses Concertantes, film director, Millepied returns to dance after more than 10 years in a show that talks about friendship: on stage, a flow of moments, artistic relationships made up of gestures , smiles, physical and spiritual contact, between reunion and separation, between “exchange and individuality, Paris, melancholy, romanticism with notes of Schubert and liberating actions accompanied by Beethoven.” A project in which two translators change roles, bringing back the dreams of the past. “I called Alexander and explained to him that I want to return to dancing. Accompanied by his plan. Provided, however, that he was with me on stage.
ROMEO AND JULIET
“After all, even the job of a pianist is very physical,” Taro adds, “we have to take care of posture, breathing, back and arm training, and learn how to deal with the stress of performing, as well as time zones, planes, hotels, in general, always on the move” . But in dance, Millepied adds, “the relationship with the body is cruel. Dancers from an early age find themselves alone, without parents and without psychological support, in companies far from home, lined up in a hierarchical manner. To get out, a person gets hurt and hurts himself without realizing it. When I was in Paris, I told my boys: you are here because I chose you, don’t worry, I love you all.”
GLENN GOULD
After his poetic Romeo and Juliet, Millepied returns to dance in a solo that becomes a duet between the notes of Rameau, Beethoven, Bach and Schubert. Also on stage is a nostalgic 33 rpm: projected onto the video, a gigantic disk brings back the notes of the Bach suite, interpreted by the legendary Glenn Gould. “Benjamin really wanted to dance this song, which, however, is not currently in my repertoire,” Taro explains, “and so we decided to pay tribute to the records of our childhood.” “Our friendship was born from a record,” says Millepied, “a recording of his music by Rameau, which struck me very much.” Reflections on the time and role of the interpreter, with a touch of irony, such as when he signals to Taro that he can no longer keep up… Black and white images scroll to tell of their Chaplin-style meeting, live footage for a show “which will be seen and heard,” concludes Millepied.
BILLBOARD
The program of the dance section continues with a new creation by Sharon Eyal: Into the Hairy (June 30 – July 3, Teatro Nuovo Gian Carlo Menotti), with Coreless electronic music and Maria Grazia Chiuri costumes for Dior Couture. The relationship between man and animal is at the heart of a new work by Fernando Montaño (July 2, Teatro Romano), a Colombian dancer and former soloist with the Royal Ballet, creator of a style that combines tango, African folklore, classical dance and urban music. dancing. The formidable Portuguese dance duo Jonas & Lander are expected to return with three shows in San Simon and the monumental complex of San Nicolò: Lento e Largo (July 6th), Cascas d’OvO (July 7th and 9th), Bate Fado. (July 8). Even the German choreographer Marco Göcke, recognized as one of the discoveries of the 21st century, brings to Spoleto three works summarizing his style (July 7-8, Teatro Romano): “In Tue”, “Midnight Raga” and “Whiteout”. To conclude “M”, a new work by Canadian choreographer Marie Chouinard is presented at the national premiere (July 8–9, Teatro Nuovo Gian Carlo Menotti). By popular demand, the Festival dei Due Mondi is bringing back a big virtual ball Blanca Lee Le Bal de Paris (June 28-July 2, July 4-9) following the success of the last edition.
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