ITALIA DANZA: A PROJECT OF THE GENERAL DIRECTORATE FOR PUBLIC AND CULTURAL DIPLOMACY

From November 28 to December 12, 2023, dance meets cultural diplomacy and travels with Italia Danza: the new project by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (Maeci), curated by CCN/Aterballetto.

Realized through the General Directorate for Public and Cultural Diplomacy, the project unfolds in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institutes, with the support of the Emilia-Romagna Region and the City of Reggio Emilia. In its initial phase, it will journey from Prague to Dakar, from the heart of ancient Europe to one of the most dynamic cities in Africa, passing through Brussels and moving from the Balkans to the Scandinavian Peninsula.

The objective of Italia Danza is simple: to enhance the Italian Cultural Institutes, places that remarkably represent cultural diplomacy worldwide, by bringing some creations from the only National Choreographic Center in our country: CCN/Aterballetto. It’s a cosmopolitan project entrusted to the universal language of the body, which CCN/Aterballetto interprets with its rich heritage of site-specific creations: a contemporary repertoire that includes MicroDanze, but also stage performances reimagined for the occasion, allowing them to be presented anywhere.

The first phase of the project unfolds in the last two months of 2023 between Europe and Africa and already includes six important stages: Prague, Brussels, Zagreb, Stockholm, London, and Dakar. In 2024 and 2025, it will continue to radiate towards new destinations and continents: the Americas and the East. It will see new significant creations designed for this unusual occasion of promoting Italian culture worldwide, activating, through dance, the world’s most universal language, cooperative and diplomatic connections.

*The London staging has been postponed to 2024.

The General Directorate for Cultural Diplomacy, established in 2022 with the aim of prioritizing cultural diplomacy as a strategic tool in service of national interest. This was intended to reaffirm the centrality of cultural promotion within the framework of Italian foreign policy, emphasizing the fundamental role of Italian culture and language as vehicles for soft power and channels of dialogue between nations and peoples.

One of the tasks of the new Directorate is to coordinate the activities of the Italian Cultural Institutes abroad, making cultural promotion an increasingly effective tool of public diplomacy by fostering dialogue between the world of culture and the realms of economics, manufacturing art, and sciences.

The emblematic project of this journey is undoubtedly MicroDanze: twenty-two performances by as many choreographers, designed for small monumental or urban spaces, avoiding traditional frontal and stage-oriented presentations. Organized in ever-changing paths, they have taken us to some of the main museum spaces (from the Acropolis Museum in Athens to Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome, to the Complesso di Santa Giulia and the Capitolium in Brescia) and European urban settings. They have also secured grants such as Creative Europe, symbolizing the capacity of live performances to align with broader project goals and scientific reflections.

MicroDanze represent a truly unique project, refined yet immediately and easily enjoyable. Intriguing by nature, with performances lasting a few minutes that allow us to traverse distinctive spaces (usually considered unsuitable), they offer something unique: an up-close experience that places the spectator around and in contact with the dancer, generating emotions and aesthetic visions that are unparalleled in any traditional theater.

Now, we have the opportunity to give shape to a special selection of our MicroDanze: the three most beautiful and significant will become the heart of a “project within the project,” designed to bring to life a showcase of Italian culture. This will be offered in key locations representing the irradiation of Italian culture worldwide, the Italian Cultural Institutes. Performances to be presented in rooms slightly larger than normal, courtyards, staircases, imagining the transformation of some of the most beautiful Italian Cultural Institutes and Embassies into surprising settings to discover dance. As we have already done on special occasions, such as June 2, 2022, in Brussels.

H 18:00 / H 19:30

Italian Cultural Institute in Prague
Šporkova 335/14, 118 00 Malá Strana, Prague

MICRODANZE

Active Motivation
by Elena Kekkou

Eppur si muove
by Francesca Lattuada

Near Life Experience
by Angelin Preljocaj

A Gig
by Diego Tortelli

Duration: 60′

“I am particularly pleased to present the Italia Danza project in Prague, in an environment highly receptive to choreographic arts where dance, in all its forms, is a prominent part of the cultural offerings. Specifically, in the Czech Republic, contemporary dance is annually celebrated through highly acclaimed international showcases and festivals, providing important glimpses into the latest developments in this field. For these reasons, I consider it important to introduce these MicroDanze to the local audience, allowing us to highlight the undeniable talents of our dancers and choreographers beyond the realm of classical ballet and to open a window into contemporary dance in our country.”

Vito De Bellis
Director Italian Cultural Institute in Prague

H 19:30

Halles Saint-Géry
Pl. Saint-Géry 1, 1000, Brussels

MICRODANZE

Active Motivation
by Elena Kekkou

Eppur si muove
by Francesca Lattuada

Near Life Experience
by Angelin Preljocaj

A Gig
by Diego Tortelli

Duration: 60′

“We are particularly delighted to host Italia Danza here; Brussels has a rich and illustrious tradition in the field of dance, and it is wonderful to present CCN/Aterballetto, an Italian institution of great excellence, in a context that loves and understands this art.”

Allegra Iafrate
Acting Head Italian Cultural Institute in Brussels

H 20.00 / H 21.15

Zagrebački Plesni Centar
Ilica 10/1, 10 000, Zagreb

MICRODANZE

Eppur si muove
by Francesca Lattuada

Near Life Experience
by Angelin Preljocaj

A Gig
by Diego Tortelli

An echo, a wave
by Philippe Kratz

Duration 60′

H 18:00

Italian Cultural Institute in Stockholm
Gärdesgatan 14, 115 27, Stockholm

MICRODANZE

Eppur si muove
by Francesca Lattuada

Near Life Experience
by Angelin Preljocaj

A Gig
by Diego Tortelli

An echo, a wave
by Philippe Kratz

Duration 60′

“Italia Danza, which we will host on December 7th at the Italian Cultural Institute in Stockholm, transforms the idea of choreography starting from the relationship with the spaces in which they are presented. In Aterballetto’s MicroDanze, space is no longer just a place of consumption but becomes part of the choreography itself, allowing a different interaction between the audience and the performers. The project is particularly significant for our venue, designed by Gio Ponti and Pier Luigi Nervi. The dancers will guide the Stockholm audience through an evocative journey that will reinterpret the spaces envisioned by the great Milanese architect.”

Francesco Di Lella
Director Italian Cultural Institute in Stockholm

The event has been postponed to 2024

Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art
39A Canonbury Square, London

MICRODANZE

Active Motivation
by Elena Kekkou

Eppur si muove
by Francesca Lattuada

Near Life Experience
by Angelin Preljocaj

A Gig
by Diego Tortelli

Duration 60′

H 17:00 / 18.00

Musée Théodore Monod d’art africain – IFAN (Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noire Cheikh Anta Diop)
1, Place Soweto, BP 206, Dakar, Sénégal

MICRODANZE

Active Motivation
by Elena Kekkou

Eppur si muove
by Francesca Lattuada

Near Life Experience
by Angelin Preljocaj

A Gig
by Diego Tortelli

Duration 60′

“We are very proud to host in Dakar the last stage of the international tour of Italy Danza, promoted by the General Directorate for Public and Cultural Diplomacy. It will be a unique opportunity to bring the ‘dakarois’ audience into contact with one of the excellences of contemporary Italian dance. Dance is a very popular language in Senegal, deeply rooted in tradition, with important figures recognized internationally such as Germaine Acogny, founder of the École des Sables and Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 2021 Dance Biennale. With Aterballetto, we bring to Dakar a different vision, an aesthetic linked to movement that is very refined and technically complex, based on our academic tradition but looking to the present. It will be interesting to see the audience’s reaction, especially in this format that involves close interaction and therefore a high degree of emotional involvement for the viewer.”

Serena Cinquegrana
Director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Dakar

Published On: 21 November 2023

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