Biennale Danza 2017: Forsythe, Lachambre, and Sciarroni at Venice

The 2017 Venice Biennale Danza featured a program centered on Biennale College Danzatori, culminating in performances of William Forsythe's "Sider" (2011) and Benoît Lachambre's new work "That Choreographs Us" at the Arsenale's Sala d’Armi A. Forsythe's piece, a masterpiece of choreographic complexity, uses a system of word maps, boards, and audio cues from Shakespeare's Hamlet, with dancers reacting through movement, group actions, or mumbled sounds. The work involves a "maestro concertatore" at a mixer who directs texts and music in real time, allowing for improvisation and counterpoint. Lachambre's piece is more spontaneous, emerging from direct encounters with young dancers, emphasizing necessity over structure, with props like chairs, boxes, and balls. Alessandro Sciarroni presented "Folk-s" (2012), "Aurora" (2015), and the Italian premiere of "Chroma," a solo featuring extended turning that evokes childlike grace. The Biennale has resumed printing its own catalogs, now designed as books with aesthetic dignity. The report also notes the prevalence of dark, dramatic tones in the overall program, with Sciarroni's work offering a luminous contrast.