Dance Now Miami will showcase The Relativity of Icarus, choreographed by Gerald Arpino, as part of a two dance program along with the world premiere of Gil Altri/The Others to be performed on Thursday, May 11 at Duncan Theater in Lake Worth, Friday, May 12 at Amaturo Theater in the Broward Center For The Performing Arts in Ft. Lauderdale and on Saturday, May 13 at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center in Aventura.
The Relativity Of Icarus, originally staged by Joffrey Ballet in 1974, is an athletic male duet that uses the Daedalus and Icarus myths to express the tortured relationship between sons and fathers.
“This is a powerful piece that has been rarely seen. Bringing this important Arpino work to Florida audiences, both because of its historical significance and its challenging choreographic take on masculinity, is a perfect fit for our company,” said Dance Now Co-Artistic Director Diego Salterini.
“The dance was almost lost to obscurity and we are so happy to bring back this work from hibernation on what is now the centennial (100 years) of Arpino’s birth,” said Dance Now Co-Artistic Director Hannah Baumgarten.
“At the time of its original presentation, The Relativity of Icarus the homoerotic overtones were deemed almost scandalous by the reviewers and the public was shocked by the nature and implications of the male/male duet,” said Baumgarten.
Dance Now Miami The Relativity of Icarus, Gerald Arpino Foundation, choreography by Gerald Arpino, dancers L-R Ted Nelson and Russell Sultzbach, photographer Herbert Migdoll
“Nearly 50 years later, dance lovers have seen many more same sex duets, both those that depicted romantic and/or sexual content and those that simply rely on craft and choreography. We are looking forward to sharing the awesome power of Arpino’s vision with our audiences,” added Baumgarten.
In staging The Relativity of Icarus, Baumgarten and Salterini acknowledge the contributions of their team in recreating costumes and sets as the dance was first staged in 1974.
“Cameron Basden of the Arpino Foundation spent over a year doing research on the dance, speaking with the original dancers in the 1974 production and even found a model of the giant set. She (Basden) hand- picked dancers Anthony Velazquez as Daedalus, David Jewett as Icarus and Julia Fortin as The Sun,” said Baumgarten.
Rounding out the DNM team are costume designer sisters Haydee and Maria Morales, creating the unique costumes for the three dancers and set designer Bruce F. Brown, who created a 12 foot diameter platform with suspended mirrors above it.
Gil Altri/The Others, choreographed by Baumgarten and Salterini, features the cast of ten DNM dancers and music from the work of Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini and the score from the film “The Godfather” recreated by DNM composer Davidson Jaconello for the dance.
“Our work takes inspiration from Fellini, who explored extreme characters as well as the underbelly of society, both low and high brow through a surrealistic lens,” said Baumgarten.
Dance Now Miami The Relativity of Icarus, Gerald Arpino Foundation, choreography by Gerald Arpino, dancers L-R Ted Nelson and Russell Sultzbach, photographer Herbert Migdoll
