Bolzano Danza 2021 reinvents classics with Swan-themed festival

The 37th edition of Bolzano Danza returns from July 16 to 30, 2021, after a pandemic-induced reinvention in 2020. Artistic director Emanuele Masi, who won the Premio Danza&Danza 2020 for originality with the Eden project, has structured this year's edition around rewritings of classical ballets and music. Titled Swan, the festival features a mosaic of reenactments of masterpieces including Swan Lake, The Dying Swan, Giselle, The Rite of Spring, and Mozart's Requiem, entrusted to international choreographers and emerging Italian talents. Participants include Radhouane El Medded, Olivier Dubois, Club Guy & Roni, Kor'sia, Silvia Gribaudi, Chiara Bersani, Camilla Monga, and sixteen choreographers from Gauthier Dance for The Dying Swan Project, which includes a live theater evening and an urban route in the Don Bosco district. Two new virtual reality experiences are offered: Silvia Gribaudi's VR Experience at NOI Techpark in Bolzano and an intergenerational workshop. Masi chose the swan as the festival's guiding animal, symbolizing beauty, change, and transformation. The festival aims to entice audiences back to theaters with a relaxed experience and expanded spaces.