A Contemporary ‘Odyssey’ & Tango at the FDF

The Florence Dance Festival opens on June 27, welcoming audiences at the Bargello Museum courtyard at 9:15 pm. There will be 11 full length performances by innovative companies saturated with diversities, ranging from the sophisticated physicality of contemporary ballet, to the sultry, skin tingling libido of tango.

The artists are seeking to test the boundaries of dance and the creative experience by incorporating live music, design, and thought-provoking concepts in the works presented — integrity, longing, hardships, mythology, and gender — offering the opportunity to visit new dimensions of reality.

The Zappalà Dance Company will commence the festivities on Tuesday with “Shipwreck with Spectator,” a movement within ODISSEO.  The 80-minute choreography relives the tale of Odysseus, and his journey of triumphs and failures as a migrant in a new society.

Brilliant lighting and stage designs reflect Odysseus’s universe, with rich blues, metallic curtains, and costumes incorporating a modern twist on rustic styles.  ODISSEO combines eeriness and vulnerability to communicate the plights of human despair in time of need.

On an entirely different note, the Florence Dance Festival will present the Flamenco Tango Neapolis company with “Viento,” a metaphor for the art of seduction (June 29). The dancers precisely articulate their movements to the live, romantic music to display the power of infatuation. The sway of bodies and rhythm of the live music will resonate long after the performance ends.  (jennifer klammer)