German premier

»Terramara«: hills of fertile, black soil which are the remnants of prehistoric settlements, that’s the interpretation of the troupe’s Latin-deviated and invented title.

Dances, mimicry and action typify this play. It is overshadowed by one’s complete certainty of mutual destiny, by a seldom-found measure of intimate trust, by deep seriousness and esoteric humour and by eroticism; which both earthbound and tender, avoids to become sexy. This couple from Italy defies the concept of fatalism’s human alienation and calls it a lie.

Wood, wicker, hemd, coloured glass and oranges cover the stage like sand on the beach, and they create a rural atmosphere which breathes the great outdoors.

The acknowledgement of continuos and all-exclusive love individually transforms the language of modern stage dance to a fascinating and emotional incredibility. The often reached for, but in the arts seldom accomplishes, point were modern life mirrors the excavated pattern of our biblical past becomes an event in »Terramara«.

Antonella Bertoni, resident of Rome and the 1980 Italian champion in rhythmic gymnastics, made in 1988 her first appearance as dancer in Carolyn Carlson’s choreography »Dark«. It was during this Parisian performance that she shared the stage with Abbondanza for the first time. Michele Abbondanza studied in New York City; amongst others also in Merce Cunningham’s dance school. He worked with Carolyn Carlson and Jorma Uotinen, the present director of the Finnish national ballet. Michele Abbondanza and Antonella Bertoni also acted and danced in films; Abbondanza as Alessandra Ferri’s partner in »Special Dance« (directed by Vittorio Nevano). Both dancers co-perform since 1989 in in-house productions.