I N T E R P L A Y / 25
FESTIVAL INTERNAZIONALE DI DANZA CONTEMPORANEA & PERFORMING ARTS
28 Maggio > 14 Giugno + 15 Luglio 2025 / TORINO
a cura dell’Associazione Culturale Mosaico Danza
Direzione artistica Natalìa Casorati
The Interplay Festival, dedicated to the new generations of contemporary dance, will take place from May 28 to June 14, with a special event on July 15 at the Living Lab, the performance space created by Mosaico Danza. This summer event represents an opportunity to maintain the connection with the audience, taking advantage of the new Campus Open Air in Natura, made possible by winning the PNRR TOCC Ecological Transition grant.
The program will take place in 4 theaters and 5 multidisciplinary spaces, with particular attention to “territorial rebalancing” through the presence of a section of the festival in the suburbs of the city and the metropolitan area. The aim is to offer cultural experiences to diverse audiences, from the youngest to the elderly.
INTERPLAY will bring to Turin 22 companies from 8 countries and various Italian regions, with 9 national premieres and new site-specific creations, promoting dialogue and experimentation. The festival’s program presents innovative choreographies, diverse poetics, and a mix of emerging and established artists. This year, we are particularly proud that two of our artists have received the 2024 UBU Award and another four have been recognized with the 2024 Danza&Danza Award.
The programming develops around three main themes:
- Identity/Complexity of the Individual, an exploration of the facets of the individual and their relationship with the collective. Companies: Abbondanza/Bertoni, Clemence Juglet, Manfredi Perego, Catarina Casqueiro, Thiago Coelho, Maia Joseph, Re_Action Integrated Dance Company, Marco Pergallini, Maria Stella Pitarresi.
- Transformation/Deconstruction, themes related to globalization, technology, and cultural changes, investigating the fragmentation of collective experiences and the search for new forms of unity. Companies: Panzetti/Ticconi, Roberto Tedesco, Sarah Baltzinger & Isaiah Wilson, Roberta Maimone, YOY Performing Arts, Moritz Ostruschnjak, Colectivo Glovo, Nicola Galli, Collettivo Kiklos.
- Political Body, the body as a metaphor for the “social body,” addressing dynamics of power and social, political, and identity issues. Companies: Stefania Tansini, Marion Alzieu, Leïla Ka, RIART, Omar Rajeh, Danseincolore, Virgilio Sieni, Richard Mascherin.
The festival, particularly through contemporary dance and performing arts, is an essential tool for reflecting on the evolution of national culture and global dialogue. It offers a space to explore themes such as democracy, inclusion, and diversity, promoting artistic experimentation. In a complex social context, where individualism prevails, the festival seeks to counteract loneliness and foster collective participation.
In this perspective, the festival program includes two TALKs with experts and artists, designed to stimulate dialogue and audience engagement. On May 31, in Barriera di Milano, we will address the cultural vitality of the suburbs and the issues related to coexistence and legality, involving local communities, artists, and the public. On June 14, at Teatro Lavanderia a Vapore, in collaboration with the University of Turin and the CISAO research center, we will present a meeting on intercultural dialogue, accompanied by a performance by the Danseincolore company and a photographic exhibition featuring students involved in international cooperation projects.
The festival will open – following last year’s extraordinary Femina – with the highly anticipated duet Viro by the Abbondanza/Bertoni company (May 28, Casa del Teatro Ragazzi e Giovani), and will close with the performance Sleep In The Car by internationally renowned choreographer and 2024 Danza&Danza Lifetime Achievement Award winner Virgilio Sieni (June 14, Lavanderia a Vapore), a work reflecting on freedom and the constraints of contemporary society.
Among the most awaited moments, Cry Violet by Panzetti/Ticconi (June 12, Lavanderia a Vapore), a performance on greenwashing with music by Teho Teardo; Totemica by Manfredi Perego (May 30, Casa del Teatro), an exploration of the fragility and power of the body. Finally, Roberto Tedesco, one of the most promising choreographers on the contemporary scene, will present Decisione Consapevole (May 30, Casa del Teatro), selected for NID Platform 2024. His performance explores the tension between freedom and limitation, with meticulous formal research where the dancers’ bodies interact in an empty space.
The festival welcomes prestigious international artists, enriching its program with impactful works such as Omar Rajeh (Lebanon/France), who with Dance Is Not For Us (June 10, Officine Caos) explores the meaning of dance as a collective experience, and one of the boldest European choreographers, Leïla Ka (France), with the double performance C’est Toi Qu’on Adore and Bouffées (June 6, Teatro Astra). Also, German choreographer Moritz Ostruschnjak, one of the most acclaimed names in the new European scene, returns to the festival with Cry Why (June 12, Lavanderia a Vapore), a piece for two dancers, two pianos, and a musician on stage. The Congolese group Danseincolore and choreographer Gervais Tomadiatunga present Congo, Ka Boye (June 14, Lavanderia a Vapore), a performance celebrating resilience and the role of women in Congolese society, using recycled materials to convey a message of social justice. Additionally, COLECTIVO GLOVO (Spain/Portugal), with Trïade (May 28, Casa del Teatro), explores the concept of female unity through powerful symbolism tied to the life cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Lastly, French choreographer Marion Alzieu presents Hold Fast (May 31, Barriera di Milano), a work that uses the Krump style as a tool for reflection on authenticity and community bonds.
The new generations are also featured, with emerging companies making their mark on the international scene, such as Sarah Baltzinger & Isaiah Wilson (LU/FR) with Megastructure (June 4, Casa del Teatro). Portuguese artists Casqueiro and Coelho present Forget Me Not (June 4, Casa del Teatro), a performance exploring the body as a meeting place between rationality and emotion, supported by major international partners.
The Spanish collective Riart, with Rafa Arenas & Idoia Rodriguez, presents Dérive (June 7, Imbarchino), a work exploring the struggle for freedom and transformation through dance with a unique choreographic language. Clémence Juglet (FR), an award-winning dancer and choreographer, presents the powerful solo Il Faut Que Je (May 28, Casa del Teatro), which explores the obsessive pursuit of perfection and satisfaction, blending different styles. Finally, Richard Mascherin presents Vacío Espiritual (May 31, Barriera di Milano), a performance that merges dance, live electronic music, and theoretical research, exploring the theme of falling as both vulnerability and pleasure.
The festival promotes emerging national artists, including the trio YOY Performing Arts, founded in 2021 by Emma Zani, Roberto Doveri, and Timoteo Carbone. Their performance Fiori Assenti (June 5, MAO) explores the relationship between dance and sculpture.
Stefania Tansini, winner of the 2022 UBU Award for Best Performer Under 35, presents Fatti Viva (May 31, Barriera di Milano), a community dance performance involving local women, offering a space for dialogue and freedom. Roberta Maimone presents Wonder, Love (May 31, Barriera di Milano), a work that explores loneliness and melancholy, representing the tension between the hope for an unattainable love and its impossibility.
On July 15, the final event at the Living Lab, the performance space created by Mosaico Danza and realized thanks to the PNRR TOCC Ecological Transition grant, will feature Nicola Galli with Cosmorama, an exploration between dance and landscape, and Collettivo Kiklos with Roots Unseen, a reflection on identity and belonging.
