25 Apr Riccardo Buscarini for a Movimento special: Deconstructing a classic
In anticipation of ŻfinMalta’s upcoming premiere, Riccardo Buscarini joins us for a special edition of Movimento…
On 3rd May, he will be in conversation with ŻfinMalta’s Artistic Director Paolo Mangiola, discussing his new take on a classic narrative for the upcoming performances of Requiem for Juliet. We spoke to Riccardo about his approaching movimento session, and some of the inspiration and ideas behind the artistic process that he will be sharing with us.
Riccardo Buscarini
‘Deconstructing a classic’
Tuesday 3rd May 2022
18:30
Valletta Design Cluster
You have worked with ŻfinMalta previously. What is your relationship with the company and how has it developed?
I met Paolo, ŻfinMalta’s Artistic Director, in London in 2012 and we kept in touch through the years. Our relationship is based on mutual admiration. In 2019 he invited me to restage my work Silk, as part of ŻfinDays, and now I am back in Malta for what I consider to be the highlight of my career so far. I could not feel more grateful and proud.
How did you arrive at the decision to rework Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy ‘Romeo and Juliet’?
When Paolo asked me if I had any projects in mind which involved working with a classic, I told him my idea to create a work mixing drama and dance based on Romeo and Juliet and inspired by Yasmina Reza’s Le Dieu du carnage. In this play, also readapted by Roman Polanski for the film Carnage, two families gather to discuss the fight between their respective sons. Initially, I imagined something involving two couples represented by actors, but soon realised that it would have been a theatre piece with little space for choreography. Eventually I arrived at the plot of this Shakespearian tragedy, relived by Lady Capulet.
How did you go about deconstructing and translating into movement such a well known and loved piece of literature?
I believe in a personal perspective; I follow my vision and intuition – I trust them. I think that a work is strong only when you are true to your personal concerns and sensitivities, even more so when you approach such a classic.
My big question, which also cast some doubt, was: “What else can I say about Romeo and Juliet?” My idea was a sequel, re-writing a whole character giving Lady Capulet a voice to express her feelings and point of view, but also an “excuse” to explore what is in my opinion the most important theme in this tragedy: the subject of choice.
What is the importance of storytelling in your current and previous choreographic work?
I think everything has a narrative. All beings have a narrative: beginning, development, end; birth, life, meandering and ultimately death. A dance or theatre experience has its own life process too, from creation to performance, and hopefully beyond in the spectator’s memory or reflection.
What can audiences expect in their experience of ‘Requiem for Juliet?’
Being a true romantic myself, I guess, lyricism.
What can we expect from your upcoming ‘Movimento’ session?
“An informal talk about choreography as a medium of communication.” Paolo Mangiola, ŻfinMalta’s Artistic Director will be moderating this informal pre-show discussion, and we hope you will join us for this chance to delve into Riccardo’s choreographic process ahead of our premiere.
Movimento sessions offer unique experiences and insights into the crossovers in our art forms. Our experts facilitate an active engagement with dance, taking you on a journey of discovery to reveal how patterns of choreography can be found all around us, and most importantly, giving us a fresh perspective on the concept of movement through their personal experiences. Informative, informal and interactive, join our next session with Riccardo Buscarini, moderated by Paolo Mangiola on the Tuesday 3rd May 2022, at Oliver Friggieri Hall, Valletta Design Cluster, 18:30.
Special offer: Purchase your tickets for Requiem for Juliet at Teatru Manoel now and present them to attend this session of Movimento for free. To take up this offer, pre-book your seat at Movimento by sending an email to martina.d.zammit@zfinmalta.mt.
When: 3rd May 2022, 18:30
Where: Valletta Design Cluster (Oliver Friggieri Hall)
Tickets: €5/Special offer
Duration: Approximately 1 hour
Age: 12+
Special offer: Purchase your tickets for Requiem for Juliet at Teatru Manoel now and present them to attend this session of Movimento for free. To take up this offer, pre-book your seat at Movimento by sending an email to martina.d.zammit@zfinmalta.mt
About Riccardo
Riccardo Buscarini is an award-winning choreographer and artist with an interdisciplinary approach to choreography. Highlights of his career include The Place Prize 2013, MAM-Maroc Artist Meeting in Marrakech, collaborations at Summerhall (Edinburgh) and the London Festival of Architecture (2016 and 2019). Silk, re-staged by ŻfinMalta in 2019, was created for Chelyabinsk Contemporary Dance Theater (Russia) and nominated for a Golden Mask 2018 at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. He regularly teaches and mentors in dance in Italy, the UK, Malta, Spain, Croatia, Sweden, Cyprus and Russia.
