After watching a stunning dance performance, most people have a
brief desire to be like the superhuman dancers they just saw on
stage. Quickly after this thought comes a list of excuses, such as
age and inexperience, silencing these desires.
Fortunately for the dance world, Emio Greco ignored these
excuses. After growing up in Italy, in a city he described as
having few interactions with art and culture, he was exposed to
dance later than most. In fact, he did not begin practicing dance
until he was 19. Although young to the rest of the world, in dance
years, he was an old beginner.
“My meeting with dance came quite late, but the desire to
transmit my thoughts with dance, I can remember that, since the age
of 6. It is still guiding me,” said Greco.
Decades later, Greco is once again shaking up the dance world as
the choreographer of the contemporary dance company, Emio Greco |
PC. The company is performing their latest work, “Rimasto
Orfano,” on Friday and Saturday night at Royce Hall.
Three years ago, Greco and his partner, Pieter C. Scholten (the
“PC”) dreamed up “Rimasto Orfano,” which
means “Abandoned Orphan,” as a companion to an earlier
piece, “Conjunto de Nero.” The loosely autobiographical
piece focusses on the ideas of self and identity.
“One side of it is fear, and the risk artists have of
loosing their own identity and inspiration and becoming of
themselves,” Greco said. “Also it is about the hope to
be yourself and to regenerate yourself without loosing to
fear.”
While themes and messages are important to the dance, Greco
believes the actual movement is the most crucial element to an
effective piece.
“There is a certain narrative we call the language of the
flesh that needs to be understood. That kind of material cannot be
used to tell another story because it already contains a strong
element that does not need to be articulated,” he said.
“Once we understand this language, we can articulate the
choreography without trying to (cover it up) with a
narrative.”
The contemporary dance with a classical twist is all
choreographed to music by American composer Michael Gordon. Since
he does not get caught up in metaphors, Greco is able to
concentrate on mood-stirring movement which is both spirited and
structured.
“There is this sense of abandonment and loneliness, and
loneliness by choice, so there is an effect of activity and
passivity,” said Greco.
Aiding in the execution of the reflective dance are the
harrowing costumes and lighting. With a background in designing and
lighting, these structural elements are Scholten’s expertise.
Using moments in which a single light bulb illuminates the stage,
and dressing dancers in white, Scholten strips away the excess and
allows the audience to concentrate on the pure movement.
“We chose a kind of element that goes together with the
dance without covering the body and imposing any artificial element
so you can react to the body and the dancer in this journey in this
piece,” said Greco.