FRANCESCA ROMANA DI MAIO will devise the choreography for the Notte della Taranta 2023 scheduled for Aug. 26 in Melpignano (LE).
The Roman choreographer, who has previously collaborated with concertmaster Fiorella Mannoia, will propose 10 paintings inspired by the lyrics of traditional Salento songs in line with the theme chosen for edition 26: women in popular music.
"We are working to tell through dance this fascinating world of Taranta, explains Francesca Romana Di Maio. We start by listening to the song and analyzing the text, discovering with each new reading the beauty of the verses and the power of the stories. It will be these stories that will guide our steps, bringing not only the past but the present to the stage in Melpignano. I am happy to participate in this edition directed by Fiorella, who will certainly return to dance the pizzica as she did in 2016."
A student of Franco Miseria, one of the most important choreographers of the show in the Italian artistic scene, Francesca Romana Di Maio from 2003 to 2010 was a professional dancer on Amici the program of Maria De Filippi, later collaborated with Giuliano Peparini and participated in Cocciante's musical opera "Notre Dame de Paris." Francesca Romana Di Maio's international experiences include collaboration with the Momix company directed by Moses Pendleton and participation in music videos and European tours with Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue, Geri Halliwell whose stand-in she was in the video "It's raining men."
Starting today, the choreographer will be in the rehearsal room in Soleto with folk dancers Serena Pellegrino, Lucia Scarabino, Mihaela Coluccia, Cristina Frassanito, Giorgia Carbone, Mattia Politi, Fabrizio Nigro, Stefano Campagna, Andrea Caracuta and Alessandro Tagliente and academic dancers Veronika Maritati, Alessia Losavio, Pia Taggio, Filippo Grande and assistant choreographer Alessandra Cito.
Taking care of the stage costumes will be Daniela Amoruso and her Danamò atelier with the collaboration of Vinicio Attanasi.
Since 2016, dance has been the protagonist, along with music, on the Melpignano stage, and the choreographies remain pages of art in the history of the Notte della Taranta: such as the unforgettable Fuecu in 2016 choreographed by Fabrizio Mainini, the flight of Nicoletta Manni prima ballerina della Scala signed by Luciano Cannito in 2017, Pizzicarella by international guest LP with the choreographic framework by Massimiliano Volpini in 2018, the harmonious balance between classical and popular defined in 2019 by Davide Bombana, the charm and elegance DIOR in Sharon Eyal's choreography in 2020, the enchanting and mind-blowing performance of Madame curated by Thomas Signorelli in 2021, the overwhelming Pizzica di San Vito danced by Elodie under the direction of Irma Di Paola in 2022.
Not only Concertone for the Taranta dancers. They will be guests of the Itinerant Festival with the show entitled Pizzica in Scena scheduled today in Corigliano d'Otranto at the AQP Tank and in Ugento on August 9. There are 7 appointments with pizzica workshops: today in Corigliano d'Otranto in the atrium of the Castello de Monti, August 5 in Nociglia, August 6 in Racale, August 10 in Sant'Andrea, August 12 in Nardò, and August 14 in Lecce. In the Cutrofiano stage, the patrol created by the dancers will include guests of the L'Adelfia therapeutic residences. And finally in the Soleto stage, the Taranta Dance Corps will offer the Balconata, a show with a strong visual impact that transforms the balconies of the historic center into the flowered stage to be admired with your head up.
