Between timeless classics and youthful optimism, nine artists from Milan’s La Scala weigh in on the joys, thrills and feels of this art form — after a special performance in Lecce.
EMOTION COUNTS. That’s the subtext that leans on the creative practice of dance with its equally emotive vein that unleashes a wealth of emotions able to permeate our consciousness, drip after drip. ‘La Gioia di Danzare’ (meaning, The joy of dancing) is one such example: as a national debut in Lecce, Southern Italy, it projects an unprecedented performance produced by Artedanza that contributes to highlighting the beauty of this practice to the Italian public.
Teatro alla Scala’s Étoile, Nicoletta Manni, together with her husband and Principal Timofej Andrijashenko (in collaboration with La Scala’s artists), wanted to share her joy of dancing through an eclectic and distinctive evening. “Dancing in Lecce had a profound value, as I was born in this land, and performing in this context was so emotional that it left me breathless,” says Manni, who feels the bond with Puglia is ever so deep.
“Being able to share this with artists with whom I’ve had a close affection for many years made it more special,” she adds. The programme included pieces ranging from timeless classics such as Grand Pas Classique, Carmen, Swan Lake and The Corsair, while engaging with a contemporary repertoire, too. “I wanted the evening to be balanced between classical choreographies and neo-classical, modern ones too,” she opined.
‘La Gioia di Danzare’(The joy of dancing) shines new light on the meaning of Manni’s namesake book published in 2023, which recounts her life weaved with dance through a declaration of love for this practice, seeing this very art as a journey of freedom and self-discovery. A path that starts from her homeland, chosen as the ideal place for the debut of the show in the evocative setting of Lecce’s Politeama Greco Theatre.
“The real joy of dance for me is being able to feel free on stage,” concludes Manni. “Being able to create that special magic on stage requires a lifetime of hard work, and when a dancer is able to enjoy this magic, then there’s no greater joy.”
Photograph: Vito Lorusso
Below, GLASS spoke to the artists who took part in this initiative.
Timofej Andrijashenko, Principal Dancer, Teatro alla Scala (Milan)
“I’m very fond of the Salento area, and accompanying Nicoletta on this trip was exciting. We danced to choreographies of completely different repertoires, like one of the most difficult pas de deux ‘Grand pas Classique’: a choreography that broke the ice and started the evening. Then for the opening of the second act, we chose the pas de deux from Carmen, full of fiery passion.
Choreographer Roland Petit has been able to mould the canons of ballet by creating a unique style that requires not only classical technique but also great interpretative skills. We then asked choreographer Patrick de Bana to create a choreography on a piece that had been on our hearts for a while.
The notes of the Notte della Taranta and the veiled voice of Diodato helped us to create a homage to Nicoletta’s origins. The connection to our private life could not be missing either. So the final choreography was the same Tango that Nicoletta and I danced at our wedding: we liked to remember our past together, moments of great emotion.
In short, our journey took us there, to the conclusion of ‘Joy of Dancing’ with all the love, happiness and complicity of those around us. We appreciate it very much, and we are so grateful to our friends, colleagues, those who helped us to climb this step, to realise a great dream, and those who enlightened us on stage. To the audience who opened their hearts while watching the show, applauded and rejoiced with us. For that reason it was a Joy of Dancing for us.”
Photograph: Vito Lorusso
Gabriele Corrado, Artist, Teatro alla Scala (Milan)
“Returning to dance in my homeland always has a very strong emotional impact. I felt the energy of the audience who attended the show with great pride. A huge welcome, just like the one you receive from your family when you return home after a long period of absence. So many memories come back of the first steps you took there, and it’s special to find so many people who accompanied you during your childhood.
Personally, I experienced this event as my artistic homage to my homeland, where I gave my all in tackling the pieces on offer. The reaction of the audience was priceless. True joy in dance is made up of so many elements that are difficult to explain: it’s something magical that happens on stage the moment the curtain opens, a sudden inner force guides you in your movements, excites you and takes you to a unique dimension, filling your soul with energy and repays you for all the sacrifices you’ve made.”
Claudio Coviello, Principal Dancer, Teatro alla Scala (Milan)
“It was very exciting to be on Nicoletta’s side in her first gala in her homeland, and it was wonderful to be acclaimed by the audience and to have seen so many people become passionate about our art. I believe it’s important to organise events like this to bring dance to places where unfortunately there are not many professional realities.
In terms of variations, I performed two pas de deux with Agnese Di Clemente: the first ‘Se tu non parli’ is very delicate, poignant choreography by Massimiliano Volpini on the notes of Arvo Part inspired by a poem by Tagore. The second pas de deux I did was a purely classical pas de deux ‘Flower Festival in Genzano,’ a brilliant piece with many technical difficulties typical of the style of Bournonville, the unmistakable Danish choreographer of the 19th century.
For us dancers, of course dancing is a joy, as this is a very complex art that can only be done if driven by true passion. Obviously this ‘joy’ also has its dark sides, because very often it’s a tiring and exhausting profession, as we work with our bodies to the extreme to make the steps appear simple in the eyes of the spectator.
But in spite of these difficulties, the adrenaline and our passion make us forget all the efforts we undergo, and the joy is that we’re privileged to make our passion our profession, because on stage we have the opportunity to experience incomparable emotions.”
Photograph: Vito Lorusso
Agnese Di Clemente, Soloist, Teatro alla Scala (Milan)
“It was my second time in Lecce, and both times I was there for reasons related to Nicoletta and Tima (she refers to Timofej): the first time for their wedding, while this time for the gala. It’s a beautiful city and the atmosphere is magical: we felt welcomed by everyone even when we were out and about in the narrow streets of the centre.
It’s always very exciting to find yourself dancing in the context of a colleague and friend. For this evening, I danced a piece by Massimiliano Volpini, ‘Se tu non parli’; it was a little debut for me, as it’s a melancholic piece with magnificent music that I only had to listen to and follow my partner Claudio Coviello as the steps followed. The other piece we danced was Infiorata a Genzano by A. Bournonville, a graceful and amusing ballet in which there is a continuous exchange of shy glances with the partner, a dance composed of small jumps performed quickly in contrast to the gracefulness of the arms.
The difficulty lies in making everything seem very natural and simple. For me, the real ‘joy’ of what I do lies in reaching the audience with true and pure feelings, managing to be myself on stage; and managing to amaze even myself in the performance. The difficulties are many and the sacrifices that have brought us to our level are just as undeniable, but when at the end of a show you feel that warmth so powerful sweeping you into bows, every obstacle vanishes and you know you are in the right place. And so it was on stage in Lecce!”
Alice Mariani, Principal Dancer, Teatro alla Scala (Milan)
“Lecce is a beautiful city with Mediterranean colours that create a beautiful atmosphere, and all the people present at the show conveyed the warmth and energy of Puglia. Mattia [Semperboni] and I danced a neoclassical pas de deux by David Dawson that was lyrical and sinuous with wide movements.
The other piece was the famous classical pas de deux from The Corsair, which has various technical difficulties and virtuosities, one of the most iconic pas de deux in the classical repertoire. The sacrifice is a lot, but the joy we feel in doing our work means that all the sacrifices are not considered such. We are truly lucky to make our passion our job!”
Mattia Semperboni, Soloist, Teatro alla Scala (Milan)
“Lecce in the setting of the Politeama theatre and feeling the warmth of all the people who love dance and love Nicoletta was electrifying. It was an evening of great dance marked by choreographies from the classical and contemporary repertoire: dancing The Corsair’s pas de deux is always a great challenge even though I feel it is very much my own. I also had the chance to try my hand at the beautiful pas de deux from David Dawson’s ‘Four Seasons’ with Alice Mariani, accompanied by music by Ezio Bosso.”
Photograph: Vito Lorusso
Maria Celeste Losa, Soloist, Teatro alla Scala (Milan)
“It was very emotional to share this moment with Nicoletta, her first gala in her homeland. I was moved during the applause, and reminded of when I returned to my city after a long time. A unique emotion! Too happy to have had the opportunity to be part of that special evening.
I played Odette in the pas de deux of the White Swan together with Gabriele Corrado, and this piece is very special to me. It reminds me of my debut at La Scala: we danced this pas de deux several times together with Gabriele, this allows me to let myself go through the movements and emotions of this classic Swan Lake.
The difficulty in this piece is to make everything seem very ethereal and light while doing very controlling steps. Largo is a trio that we danced together with choreographer Matteo Levaggi’s Gabriele and Emmanuele Cazzato. It was very interesting working with the four of us in the room. We tried together with the choreographer to make his movements our own, to make them organic and natural. There was a very nice energy during the performance.
Dancing for me is joy, otherwise what’s the point of doing it? I think you have to be passionate otherwise it becomes a very heavy path. The joy of dancing to feel those sensations on stage is addictive, and you want to relive them again and again!”
Emanuele Cazzato, Artist, Teatro alla Scala (Milan)
“This initiative meant coming home, dancing in the place where I grew up and where it all began: dancing for my family and rediscovering the strongest bonds. Matteo Levaggi’s choreography is a trio in which the lines and fluidity of the bodies come to the fore. These are themes that I find myself in and that make me feel at ease. A beautiful emotion.
Overall, dance requires a lot of work and sacrifice as we spend hours in the halls searching for perfection, infinite energies that are concentrated and explode the moment the curtain opens. This is the process that for me best expresses the joy of dancing.”
by Chidozie Obasi