Patrizia & I Danzatori Scalzi
In 1972 modern dance was born in Italy: Patrizia Cerroni and nine Italian and American dancer-choreographers, give life to an event, been memorable, with the foundation of the Company Teatrodanza of Rome.
In 1974 she founds her own Company "Patrizia Cerroni & I Danzatori Scalzi", (with which she officially makes her debut in Sicily at the Erwin Piscator Theater of Catania).
In 1975 the National Academy of Dance in Rome, in the Open Space Theatre, opens the doors, for the first time, to an external company formed by teachers of the Academy itself with the first production of Patrizia Cerroni, for a whole week of replicas, with a full house of young and enthusiastic audience.
"The American Modern Dance of Cunningham - Patrizia says - is intellectual and abstract,pure poetry, pure mathematics. My dance emotionally expresses a symbolic meaning in every gesture and movement. I feel to go deep in the mystery of the nature to bring it at the surface" ”.
In her starting choreographies (Apotropia, Aiko' Biaye', Marche! , Concatenazioni, Hmm…) already irony, transgression, precision of the movement, characteristics of her dance, are warned, while in the following dances (Selfmirror, U.H.F!!!, Improvisation with Miciko Hirayama), to these qualities integrates the fluid, sinuous, poetic movement, that belongs her deeply, like if her art were preceding her meeting with the Oriental World, India. These choreographies totally reflect the artist's restless mind that is conventionally defined "genius and lack of moderation". Her art deeply expresses the androgynous both in movement and in dynamics. During the performances dancers wear only tights that make the bodies asexual.
In 1976 she creates the choreographies for "Orfeo and Euridice" by C. W. Gluck, on commission of Italo Gomez, represented in various theatre (Great Theatre of Brescia, Donizetti Theater in Bergamo) and at the “Autunno musicale” in Como, at the Auditorium of San Francesco.
In the same year the dance of Patrizia enters the world of rock through David Zard, who commissions her to create the choreographies for the concerts of the group “Banco del Mutuo Soccorso” in the show "Come in un’ultima cena", represented at the Festival of Cannes and on tour at the Sport stadium in Rome, Reggio Emilia, Bologna, Turin, and the Midem of Naples. A young artist that meets a great manager in an important comparison and friendship.
In 1979 realizes choreographies for the "Création du Monde", by Darius Milhaud, produced by TSI-television of Italian Switzerland, with live music by the “Musica Insieme” Orchestra of Cremona. Customs, created by Jimmy Ortelli, symbolically represent the nature.
Her first trip to India in 1979, a trip of artistic, cultural and spiritual knowledge, that makes her live a fundamental stylistic evolution, adding the musicality of this country to the experience matured with American Modern Dance: "In India - Patrizia says - I have discovered the strong affinity that my dance has with the music of this country: dance is music seen, music is dance heard”.
She finds again herself as a woman and as a person after years exclusively devoted to her art. Comes into contact with her own spirituality and creates her first "one woman show" "Tendrils", based on the poetry written for her by the poet Alok Chaturveda, with live music created for the choreography by the jazz musicians Giovanni Tommaso and Luis Agudo, voice Joan Logue. This dance is intimist, hieratic.
"In an Indian forest in Mahabalipuram, in a state of emotion, a theme of movement passes, like by divine inspiration, through my body, in a real prayer". This theme will then become the basic theme of the following show, "C’est ici que l’on prend le bateau",(It’s here where you can take the boat), with which returns to India in 1980, on the official invitation from Indian Government, effecting with her Company a long tour (17 shows in the 15 cities), organized by the ICCR - Indian Council for Cultural Relations, with original music by Mauro Bortolotti, performed live by the same author, in an analogous procedure of relationship between music and dance (as in "Tendrils"), but here developed in a composed music.
In India she gives courses of her dance technique in New Delhi University and in Katak Kendra. Meets and frequents the greatest Indian musicians: Zakir Hussain, H.Chaurasia, Shirkuma Sharma, K. Vidjay. On their invitation, takes part to the most important art and culture festivals as the Classic International Music Festival of Calcutta and the East West Dance Encounter in Bombay at the Tata Theatre, in a long tour in South India.
"My meeting with Zakir has revealed to me our affinity as artists, also if in two different cultures in antithesis between them, giving me a strong impulse to my personal transformation."
In 1982 born "Divertissement lyrique", show interpreted only by female dancers, where the male "role" is represented on the scene by the musicians, with music created by Mauro Bortolotti, performed live by the same composer and by the group "Musica Oggi". This show, for the first time, banishes the tights, is "dressed" by suits, created on purpose by the italian/american newyorker stylist Dino Orlando, with whom a collaboration and friendship born. They together develop a deep research on the relationship between movement and custom, that has brought a true innovation by maestro Orlando. Also the light, soft, fluctuating customs symbolize the change of the female role.
This production, enriched and integrated by further pieces, will also be brought in the United States, in 1985, taking the name of "Concert", with jazz music performed live by Giovanni Tommaso, Ettore Fioravanti, Fulvio Maras.
Until here the Patrizia’s dance is "abstract", becomes now "figurative". Begins to involve her interpreters in a relationship of deeper creative cooperation, in which the movement is inspired by the reality of the daily life.
In 1986 gives life, together with four couples of dancers, to a new production, "Ladies & Gentleman". The choreographic language gathers the relationship of harmony and tension, between the male and female strength, through dynamics of movement between the lyricism of the dance and the irony of the daily life.
Marco Stagi creates surreal customs, Dino Orlando completes with suits inspired to the daily life.
In 1991 commissions to one of her dancer-choreographer , Mario Piazza, the production of a show entitled "Baby Doll", inspired by the novel by Tennessee Williams.
In 1992 creates the show "Thousand and one light". The theme on the male-female becomes the leit motiv of her art. In the same year it is born "Making Dance", show inspired by the music of Zakir Hussein "Making Music". This same repertoire develops in "When the Sun and the Moon Rise ", with electronic music by Mauro Bortolotti. Costumes are provided by "Cosabella of Miami".
In 1993 "Folli amori" makes its debut at the Olympic Theater in Rome.
In 1995, "abstract" to "figurative", her dance becomes "narrative", with the show "Hyde & Eva", inspired by the history of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, that starts to the Temple of Jupiter Anxur, in Co-production with the XV Festival of the Italian Theater. Through the presence of a child in scene is reported the abuse of the western culture on the female psyche since the infancy. Initially the scene was proposed to Mario Schifano, but instead realized, because of his sickness, with the extraordinary share of Fabio Mauri, that since the first meeting with the choreographer creates the sketch of it. Suits are provided by the House of Fashion "Piano Piano Dolce Carlotta."
In 1997, in Milan, choreographes and interprets the videoclip "Piccola canzone dei contrari", by Angelo Branduardi.
With the show "Ali in corpo", created in 1999, inspired to the music "Space", by Zakir Hussain, she returns to create starting from music. At the Olympic Theater in Rome the Argentinian artist, Silvio Benedetto, acts with body paintings on the dancers.
In 2001 in Rome with the show "But do you really want to understand something of us women?!!! " the theme of the female, is again treated in the surreal, sensual and poetic abstraction, to land in 2003 into the narration of a dramatic figure as Tosca, in the show "Tosca - Power Against Love", on original jazz/pop/rock music by Ioska Mezal and Francis Tosoni. It starts in the suggestive frame of Castel Sant'Angelo, granted by the Sopraintendente of the museum pole in Rome, Professor Claudio Strinati, with 2 months of replicas, suits by the prestigious Italian stylist ,Sem Vaccaro. In this new production, Cerroni relives in modern key, the woman's play, in the contemporary realism of the conflict between love and power.
On occasion of Scelsi Festival, on commission by Scelsi Foundation, Patrizia Cerroni creates a solo " Shiva’s Dance ", on Giacinto Scelsi’s music "Ko-Tha" performed live by the percussionist Anthony Caggiano, by herself interpreted in first absolute on December 9 th 2005 at the Goethe Institute Auditorium of Rome.
In 2008 borns "Cleopatra - Power Of love", with original music written by Angelo Valori and performed live by the M. Edit Ensemble, in the programme of the Opera House of Rome, to the National Theater.
In 2009 realizes the show "Dance to Jazz", performed at the "Dance & Music Summer Festival" of Rome.
