This dancer-duo from Italy is bringing movement arts to Mumbai

Cassandra Bianco and Antonella Albanese (lying down) perform in Udine, Italy

The secret to achieving fluency in a foreign language, an expert would tell you, is to start as early as you can. For dancers Cassandra Bianco and Antonella Albanese, who grew up in the scenic coastal city of Brindisi in southern Italy, the language of choice was dance. "We stepped into the world of dance unknowingly at the age of three and four respectively at our private schools. It has turned out to be the best decision of our lives," shares the duo, who is now introducing the world to their own dialect of sorts - movement arts.

Ahead of their visit to Mumbai this week, the founders, who established Esenco Dance Movement in 2021, reveal that charting journeys across seas with their artform isn't recent. "During the winters in Italy, I would study in my hometown, and in the summers, I would travel to the USA and Europe to expand my knowledge. Today, I use my body, mind, and expertise from these travels as tools to communicate with the audience," shares Bianco.

This idea of striking a conversation with the audience forms the core of the artistes' contemporary style. "In our artistic vision, the body plays a fundamental role as an instrument of direct emotional and energetic transmission. We believe that the arts, and in particular, the movement arts, are the only forms of expression capable of conveying the complex human world, reflecting what has been shaped by our society, in a way that no other cognitive skill can achieve."

A moment from the rehearsals for E/U-topia

E/U-topia, the latest original choreography by the duo, dissects 1971 Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda's poem, Restare in silenzio. "The project is a utopic representation of how positive intents can align for greater good in society,"

Albanese explains. Adapting spoken word to dance, the duo says, is seldom a challenge. "Every human interaction has a rhythm, a back and forth between two subjects towards a state of mutual adjustment," they elaborate.

Participants at a workshop in Italy; (right) the duo perform in Kolkata. Pics Courtesy/Youtube

A more intimate, hands-on attempt at bringing these ideas to life will be made even before the duo takes stage on Friday. Two guided workshops will give enthusiasts who missed the boat during their critical period, a second chance. These workshops include technical elements, improvisation and choreographic exercises, floorwork technique, and partner work. "The focus is on the dynamics of movement, space, connection with others, and with oneself, so participants can experience a new contemporary dance language; an introspective journey of exploration," they reveal.

The Italian duo's philosophy reminds us of the ancient Indian guidebook to performing arts, Natyashastra. The ultimate goal of a performance, the text suggests, is to transport the audience to a state where they experience their own consciousness. Bianco agrees, drawing a parallel, "There is certainly a strong expressiveness of the body that allows the viewer to visualise their own story in our performances. If in the end, they can relate to and understand, even a small part of what we want to convey, it is part of our goal."

As the artistes' India tour enters its last leg this weekend after charting a journey across Kolkata, Bangalore, Jaipur and New Delhi, Bianco admits that it has sparked a newfound interest in Indian culture, "We weren't able to explore much of the traditional dance forms of India owing to our hectic schedule. That's something we look forward to reading up on soon."

For now, the duo has its eyes on exploring Italian food in the city. "We saw Italian restaurants lining streets across the cities. Unfortunately, we couldn't make time to drop in for a meal. We managed to get our hands on some pizza takeaway. It was not bad at all," the duo laughs. If you plan to drop by the interactive workshops this week, we suggest you keep your best Italian recommendations in the city handy.

Workshops
ON August 14, 5 pm and 6.30 pm; August 16, 3 pm and 4.30 pm
AT Nritya Shakti Studio, Shri Sai Corporate Park, Bangur Nagar, Goregaon West.
LOG ON TO @nrityashakti (for more details and registration)

Performance
ON August 16; 7.30 pm
AT Veda Kunba Theatre,
Cintaa Tower, Four Bungalows, Andheri West.
LOG ON TO in.bookmyshow.com
ENTRY Rs 300 onwards

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