MM Contemporary Dance Company performs Grosse fugue and Elegia at Teatro Ponchielli

On February 22, 2025, the MM Contemporary Dance Company, founded in 1999 by Michele Merola and based in Reggio Emilia, presented a double bill at Teatro Ponchielli in Cremona. The program consisted of Grosse fugue, choreographed by Maguy Marin to Beethoven's music, and Elegia, choreographed by Enrico Morelli to music by Chopin and Giuseppe Villarosa. Grosse fugue features dancers in red embodying Marin's angular choreography, reflecting Beethoven's forward-looking fugue. The performance emphasizes live interaction between dancers and musicians. Elegia, performed in a total live version for the first time at this venue, incorporates fragmented verses by Mariangela Gualtieri and contemporary-inflected Chopin music, creating a composite body of dancers and musicians. The piece moves from chaos to an elegiac harmony, with ensemble scenes, solos, and pas de deux converging under a starry sky. The production highlights the sensitivity of combining movement with live musical execution, making the choreography less artificial and allowing dancers to engage with the unpredictability of live music.