SALTO ANIMATO

Salto Animato
An Opera for the Body in Five Acts
1. Figaro giocoso
2. Ad libitum, f
3. Distinto
4. Con tutta la forza
5. Scherzo per due

The one who unmasks existing social orders. Who comments on what is normally not touched upon, in a sharp, dexterous, and flexible manner. The one who brings laughter, and is feared by the rulers. Since the time of pre-revolutionary France, we call him Figaro.
Inspired by the comedies of the French writer best known as de Beaumarchais, more specifically by his comedy The Marriage of Figaro or The Mad Day, which among other things served as the foundation for Mozart’s opera of the same name, the intention of the piece is to examine which constituent elements of opera buffa are indispensable, and then recombine these elements attempting to construct its own performance material.
Adopting from the structure of the opera neither the archetypal relationships, nor the specific intrigues that form the backbone of the original plot, the piece rather focuses on the character of Figaro and his inner turmoil that ultimately leads to the splitting of his character into two entities, no longer necessarily forming a whole. This peels away all the other characters and broadens the narrative context, foregrounding, alongside the already mentioned Figaro, key concepts such as virtuosity, intrigue, conflict, resolution, and happy ending…
Equivalent to an opera performance characterised by strength, but also lightness engendered by utmost virtuosity, it plays with the idea of maximums – both performative as well as physical, within which bodily forms surrender to constant alterations during acts, in which opera conventions and meanings are examined, thus constructing its own narrative that diverges from the original. A high degree of virtuosity and stylisation opens up a space for commenting on what makes a truly masterful dance performance; to what extent we can challenge virtuosity of movement; or what actually constitutes a happy ending.

ppp

Idea and concept: Filipa Bavčević and Nastasja Štefanić
Choreography and performance: Filipa Bavčević, Nastasja Štefanić and Jovana Zelenović
Dramaturgical support: Nikolina Rafaj
Music: Hrvoje Nikšić and Nastasja Štefanić
Lighting design: Marino Frankola
Costume design: Dalibor Šakić
Graphic design: Dinko Uglešić
Photography and video: Neven Petrović
Producer: Tena Bošnjaković
Production: UO NIIT
Co-production: Zagreb Dance Centre

The project was created in cooperation with the Croatian Dancers Association, and is financed by the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia and the City of Zagreb.