Biennale Danza 2018: Animale and Bacchae – Prelude to a purge

At the 2018 Venice Biennale Danza, two performances explored themes of animality and chaos. Francesca Foscarini's 'Animale,' inspired by painter Antonio Ligabue and John Berger's essay 'Why Look at Animals?,' featured dancer Romain Guion in a solo that blended human and animal gestures, using a mirror, vocal fragments from the Hebrew Bible, and a soundscape from birdsong to electric guitar. The choreography marked Foscarini's first work without herself on stage. Marlene Monteiro Freitas, winner of the Silver Lion 2018, presented 'Bacchae – Prelude to a purge,' a chaotic reinterpretation of Euripides' 'Bacchae' with five trumpeters and eight performers using rubber tubes, funnels, music stands, and microphone stands as props. The piece mixed Caribbean dance, krumping, mime, and traditional dance, with music including Debussy's 'Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune' and Ravel's 'Bolero.' A disturbing black-and-white video of a Chinese woman giving birth was included. The review criticizes the lack of narrative coherence and excessive chaos.