by InTrieste
On Monday, February 24, the MM Contemporary Dance Company will present Ballade at the Politeama Rossetti. The one-night-only performance, hosted by the Teatro Stabile del Friuli Venezia Giulia, features a double bill of contemporary dance choreographed by Enrico Morelli and Mauro Bigonzetti.
Founded in 1991 and directed by Michele Merola, MM Contemporary Dance Company has gained recognition in Italy and beyond for its diverse repertoire and dynamic performances. The company first appeared in Trieste in 2017 with The Rite of Spring and Bolero, returning in subsequent years with works such as Les Sylphides, Pulcinella, Gershwin Suite, and Schubert Frames. In recent years, it has reached wider audiences through appearances on Italian television programs such as Danza con me and Viva la danza, both hosted by renowned dancer Roberto Bolle.
In 2022, Ballade earned the Danza&Danza Prize for Best Italian Production. The work consists of two pieces: Elegia, choreographed by Morelli, and Ballade, created by Bigonzetti. The award jury praised MM Contemporary Dance Company’s ability to balance a varied and original repertoire, describing Ballade as a diptych that highlights the ensemble’s dancers while exploring two distinct historical moments.
Morelli’s Elegia reflects on the uncertainties of the post-pandemic world, portraying individuals in search of identity and connection. Set to music by Frédéric Chopin and Giuseppe Villarosa, the piece combines fluid movement and poetic narration, including excerpts from the works of Italian poet Mariangela Gualtieri.
Bigonzetti’s Ballade, by contrast, revisits the 1980s through a collage of musical influences, from Prince and Frank Zappa to Leonard Cohen and the punk aesthetics of CCCP. The work draws inspiration from the writings of Pier Vittorio Tondelli, whose novels captured the energy and contradictions of the era. With a focus on collective experience, Balladeseeks to evoke both the exuberance and the disillusionment of a generation.
MM Contemporary Dance Company has built its reputation by commissioning and performing works by a range of European and Italian choreographers, including Maguy Marin, Mats Ek, Thomas Noone, and Silvia Gribaudi. Under Merola’s leadership, the company has received multiple awards and continues to be a prominent presence in the contemporary dance landscape.
The performance of Ballade will take place at 8:30 p.m. on February 24. Tickets are available through the Teatro Stabile del Friuli Venezia Giulia’s official channels.
For more information, visit www.ilrossetti.it or call 040.3593511.
