Yasmine Hugonnet's Chronological Trio Debuts at Cango Festival in Florence

Swiss dancer and choreographer Yasmine Hugonnet (born 1979 in Montreux) presented her latest work, "Chro no lo gi cal / Trio," at Cango, the National Center for Dance Production directed by Virgilio Sieni in Florence, as part of the festival "La democrazia del corpo." The piece, performed by Hugonnet alongside Ruth Childs and Audrey Gaisan Doncel, explores temporal devices in the perception of performative gesture. The stage features a series of descending platforms that create an inclined plane, accelerating time across three levels representing different temporal ages. The performers' ventriloquist voices play a primary role, accompanying gestures to reveal hidden forces. In one sequence, three bodies remain still with closed mouths while their upper arms rotate like clock hands, producing sounds that fragment and repeat the word "chronological." The work challenges visibility and intelligibility of movement, disrupting logical sequences through sound that eludes order. Hugonnet's choreography negotiates between equilibrium and inertia, culminating in static poses where gravity shifts suggest a victory over time. The three female figures—one nude, two in Renaissance costumes—embody different ages in inactive coexistence, staging the beginning and end of self-preservation. The performance risks falling into chronological dictation despite its intentions, with faces and poses potentially becoming didactic allegories referencing Epicurus and Lucretius.