Balletto Civile's 'Figli di un dio ubriaco' Merges Baroque Music and Contemporary Dance

Balletto Civile, directed by Michela Lucenti, presents 'Figli di un dio ubriaco', a dance and theater performance commissioned by Teatro Ponchielli di Cremona and Cantiere Internazionale d’Arte di Montepulciano. The show juxtaposes Baroque music from Claudio Monteverdi, performed by Ensemble Cremona Antiqua, with contemporary dance and acting. Inspired by historian Tomaso Montanari's concept of 'sensualità di vite disperate' in Baroque art, the piece portrays antiheroes grappling with fragility, imperfection, and resilience. It weaves together pastoral, amorous, and warlike themes from Monteverdi's madrigals with everyday actions and existential struggles. Characters include a father and daughter, an unemployed worker and an industrialist, a Muslim man and a woman in love, a salsa dance competition, two friends with beers, a night guard and Hamlet, and a mute blue angel who whispers and supports performers. The work explores precarity and unpredictability of life, with Lucenti singing a personal version of Vasco Rossi's song. After debuting at Monteverdi festival at Teatro Ponchielli di Cremona, with subsequent performances at Teatro Astra di Torino and Fondazione Cantiere Internazionale d’Arte di Montepulciano, the show will be at Festival Oriente Occidente di Rovereto on September 10 and at Tramedautore Festival del Piccolo di Milano.