A once nearly extinct Italian folk dance returns to life.
One of Europe's most innovative artists, Alessandro Sciarroni, discovered the dance in 2018 when only five elderly men in Italy were still practicing it.
Set to a techno beat and performed by dancers Gianmaria Borzillo and Giovanfrancesco Giannini, this powerful duet revives the polka chinata – a courtship dance traditionally performed by men in early 1900s Bologna. Almost acrobatic in form, it features deep knee bends, fast spins and close embraces.
Like all of Sciarroni’s work, Save the Last Dance for Me is an exploration of tradition, ritual, and the emotional exchange between performer and audience.
Alessandro Sciarroni is Associate Artist at CENTQUATRE-PARIS and Triennale Milano Teatro (2022–2024), and recipient of the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in Dance at the 2019 Venice Biennale. His work sits at the crossroads of theatre, visual art, and dance.
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