Bolzanodanza 2020: Eden as an Innocent Hell

The Bolzanodanza festival in Bolzano, Italy, presented a program titled 'Eden' consisting of three new short solos commissioned from Rachid Ouramdame, Michele Di Stefano, and Carolyn Carlson. Due to pandemic restrictions, each performance was attended by a single spectator at a time, with over 200 performances scheduled. The spectator was guided by a 'Caronte' through the empty theater, entering laterally and exiting centrally to a foyer-garden. The solos were performed by Annie Hanauer (Ouramdame's piece), Laura Scarpini (Di Stefano's piece), and Riccardo Meneghini (Carlson's piece). Hanauer's performance used Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings, Scarpini's used Jeff Buckley's 'You & I', and Meneghini's explored spiritual sources. The structure forced the lone spectator to confront their own presence and gaze, transforming the pandemic's limitations into an experience of self-awareness. The festival ran in July 2020.