as part of utopia – european ensemble network for dance, the sicilian compagnia zappalà danza presents its fourth german premiere at halle tanzbühne berlin.

in »romeo and juliet 1.1 – the blur of the bodies«, choreographer roberto zappalà explores what it means to feel »blurry«. technically, blur is a matter of distance — too near or too far from the focal point. transferring this to the lovers of verona, we feel blurry when the distance between ourselves and the world, or the one we love, isn’t quite right, when that space is shaped by our way of being. zappalà shifts focus to the individuality of the lovers, each facing a personal, socially rooted discomfort. while in shakespeare love is sublimated by death, version 1.1 reflects on — and rebels against — a present where the death drive sublimates only itself. in response, it proposes passion and a reverence for life. a reimagining that doesn’t aim to speak about love, but to be an act of love—toward life itself.

text nello calabrò technical direction sammy torrisi general manager maria inguscio

a production by scenario pubblico/compagnia zappalà danza – center of national choreographic relevance, in co-production with orizzonti festival fondazione, in collaboration with le mouvement mons festival (belgium). supported by the mic – ministry of culture and the region of sicily, department of tourism, sport and entertainment. guest performance as part of utopia – european ensemble network for dance. media partners: tip berlin, the berliner.

artistic director/choreography

Roberto Zappalà

music

pink floyd, elvis presley, luigi tenco, jose altafini, mirageman, john cage, sergei prokofiev

dance

fernando roldan ferrer, valeria zampardi

lightdesign

Roberto Zappalà

costumes

Roberto Zappalà

fotos

Lorenzo Gatto, Libera Associazione Merate, Federica Capo, Serena Nicoletti

reviews

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»…The two lovers alone are enough to sketch and encapsulate the famous love story with their vibrant bodies—soft and tense, breathless and impetuous in their clinging, separating, and reuniting…« Giuseppe Distefano, Danza&Danza

»Romeo and Juliet 1.1 by Roberto Zappalà is a choreography of lightness, tenderness, and the strength it takes to merge—to go beyond one’s own body, to be both one and two, to remain ‘I and you’ and become ‘we.’ The power of Zappalà’s work lies in the sweetness of touch—a pastel drawn with the colors of the earth, with things that are real, that you can feel.«
Matteo Brighenti, Paneacquaculture

»For these two, Zappalà, with an acute sense of rhythm and strong theatricality that leaves no room for dead time, has created a dance that is deeply sensual and physical, with acrobatic nuances—a long sequence of courtship that culminates in soaring leaps and mid-air embraces.«
Sergio Trombetta, La Stampa

»What most defines this new version is precisely its blurriness—not conceived as a visual effect, a hazy atmosphere, or something external to the relationship, but rather, within a bare yet crystal-clear scene, as an inner quality of the dance itself: a secret yet vital score guiding the connection between characters, between dancers, and with the audience.«
Paolo Randazzo, Rumorscena