MONICA FRANCIA: RITRATTI Oct 29, 5pm Oct 30, 8pm Zodiak, The Cable Factory Portraits/Ritratti (Versione 1.1.) Peak and abyss: Open mouth: Rhu: Fratelli Siamesi Choreography and direction: Monica Francia Performers: Rhuena Bracci, Alessandro Bedosti, Gerardo Lamattina The Italian dance company Compagnia Monica Francia is based in the city of Ravenna near Bologna. The choreographer Monica Francia has been developing her individual language of expression combining various art forms since 1987. Her choreographies and performances have won several European dance awards. Portraits is a project launched by Monica Francia in 1997. It is a kind of continuously changing art exhibition curated by one woman and composed of choreographed portraits performed by the dancers. The ensemble comprises the various portraits performed by the dancers and actors, chosen according to the situation. To create them, the "painter"/choreographer has used the instruments that come naturally to her: light and shadow, the body, gestures and movements, mysterious intuitions and objects symbolising the personality of the "model". The portraits include lengthy poses which attempt to reach out to the depth of life throbbing underneath the surface of the model. Monica Francia is fascinated by the idea of using these portrait-like performances to investigate how the "dead" image is in touch with the living in every live performance. In the psychological-magical performance the performer assumes the role of the model to be pictured and performs his or her symbolic "death" time and time again.   <<<