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Since January, a number of posters along Beijing's major streets
featuring the portrait of Michelangelo's David and a Chinese
terracotta warrior have become familiar to people. On each poster
David says "ni hao" while the terracotta warrior answers
"ciao."
The Year of Italy in China is 2006. However, the dialogue
between Italy and China started centuries ago. The purpose of
holding the Year of Italy in China is to further introduce both the
Mediterranean country's ancient philosophy and modern arts to
Chinese people.
Kataklo Athletic Dance Theatre, which performed at the opening
ceremony of the 2006 Turin Olympic Winter Games, is one of the
leading ensembles presenting Italy's modern arts. As a major
project in the Year of Italy in China, the unique dance company is
touring China and will perform in Tianjin tonight, Beijing's
Beizhan Theatre tomorrow and Shanghai on May 21.
In ancient Greek, Kataklo means "I dance by bending and
contorting." The Kataklo Athletic Dance Theatre, which was founded
in 1995 by the former Olympic rhythmic gymnast Giulia Staccioli and
her husband, former volleyball champion player Andrea Zorzi,
showcases a new form of artistic expression combining sport and
dance.
It consists of the former gymnasts who have participated in the
Olympic Games and have since devoted themselves to pursuing
gymnastics along with related disciplines, such as modern dance,
jazz dance, theatre and the martial arts.
"Our dancers challenge their body limits, reflecting their
athletic strength, conquered during many years of great sporting
professionalism," said Staccioli, the artistic director of the
company.
"If sports has been for my dancers a unique starting point,
school of discipline, sacrifice and devotion, theatre is the
perfect destination for their joyful and refined art," said
Staccioli who danced with the company Momix for several years after
retiring from rhythmic gymnastics. She established the company to
pursue her passion for dance.
"Passion, team spirit and all the fundamental sports values will
be the main features of the work of a group who knows well the
emotion and sacrifices an athlete has to face to achieve an
important goal like the Olympic Games. That's why and how our
dances are unique in the world dance scene," said the
gymnastic-dancer and choreographer.
Kataklo made their debut in 1996 with the show "Indiscipline,"
which was performed in Paris during the 1998 FIFA World Cup
In 1998, the company produced its second repertoire
"Kataklopolis," inspired by the use of architectural, urban culture
and human elements of daily life, used as a vehicle to narrate the
story of the city.
During the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Kataklo and the Italian RAI
broadcasting company presented the Buongiorno Sydney ("Good morning
Sydney"), a daily program in which the company uses choreography to
describe, in an ironic and surrealistic tone, the influence of the
Games on the life of the city.
As the tour's popularity has increased greatly since 2001,
Staccioli and her dancers created "Fair Play," an adaptation of
"Indiscipline" for foreign audiences. This is also the program they
bring to China.
Kataklo's recent productions also include "Up-Vertical Energies"
about people's challenge to nature and "Livingstone beyond all
limits," which is about the Livingstone bird's struggle against its
enemies.
(China Daily May 18, 2006)
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