Aterballetto

Aterballetto
Name	Aterballetto
Founded	1977
Founder	Amedeo Amodio
Location	Reggio Emilia, Italy
Genre	Contemporary ballet

Aterballetto is an Italian contemporary ballet company founded in 1977 and based in Reggio Emilia, Italy. It developed from regional dance initiatives into a nationally and internationally recognized troupe, touring across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa. The company has engaged with a wide range of choreographers, composers, visual artists, and institutions to shape a repertory that bridges classical technique and contemporary experimentation.

History

The company emerged amid Italian regional cultural renewal linked to figures such as Giuseppe Verdi, Giovanni Agnelli-era industrial patronage, and the civic initiatives of Reggio Emilia municipal authorities. Early leadership connected to choreographers including Amedeo Amodio, Luciano Berio-influenced composers, and collaborators from institutions like Teatro alla Scala, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, and Fondazione I Teatri di Reggio Emilia. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s Aterballetto intersected with festivals and organizations such as Festival dei Due Mondi, Venice Biennale, Edinburgh Festival, Avignon Festival, and touring venues like Opéra Garnier and Coliseu dos Recreios. Directors and artistic partnerships linked the company with artists associated with Maurice Béjart, Pina Bausch, Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, and companies like Paris Opera Ballet, New York City Ballet, and Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo. Institutional funding and project support involved entities such as Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali, Regione Emilia-Romagna, European Commission, UNESCO, and private patrons tracing to families like Pirelli and Eni. Over decades the company engaged with choreographic trends from postmodern dance practitioners and contemporary composers associated with Giorgio Moroder, Luciano Berio, Ennio Morricone, and entities like RAI and BBC for broadcasts and recordings.

Repertoire and Style

The repertoire blends neoclassical vocabularies seen in works by choreographers linked to George Balanchine, Frederick Ashton, and John Cranko with contemporary approaches from artists influenced by William Forsythe, Jirí Kylián, and Ohad Naharin. Musical choices range across collaborations with composers such as Igor Stravinsky, Ludwig van Beethoven, Gustav Mahler, Philip Glass, Arvo Pärt, and contemporary ensembles including London Symphony Orchestra, Berliner Philharmoniker, and Ensemble Modern. Scenic and costume partnerships have involved designers and visual artists tied to Sandro Chia, Marcel Duchamp-inspired curators, Gae Aulenti, and institutions like Triennale Milano. The company’s aesthetic often juxtaposes classical technique with pedestrian gestures reminiscent of works by Trisha Brown, theatrical devices associated with Robert Wilson, and multimedia practices employed by companies linked to Complicité and Cirque du Soleil-adjacent creators. Critical reception discussed the troupe alongside other contemporary companies such as La Scala Ballet, Béjart Ballet Lausanne, and Dutch National Ballet.

Notable Dancers and Choreographers

Guest artists and company alumni include dancers trained in schools named after Enrico Cecchetti, alumni who later worked with institutions like American Ballet Theatre, Royal Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and Staatsballett Berlin. Choreographers associated with the company include figures linked to Amedeo Amodio, as well as international names connected to Maurice Béjart, Pina Bausch, William Forsythe, Jirí Kylián, Ohad Naharin, Akram Khan, Cristian Casas, Alessandro Sciarroni, Marco Pelle, Alexei Ratmansky, Wayne McGregor, Sharon Eyal, Mats Ek, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Johan Inger, and Itzik Galili. Soloists and principals have gone on to perform in houses like Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Opéra National de Paris, Komische Oper Berlin, Kirov Ballet, and companies associated with directors from Gian Carlo Menotti-era festivals.

Collaborations and Commissions

Commissions have involved composers, visual artists, and institutions such as Ennio Morricone, Luciano Berio, Carlo Goldoni-inspired dramaturgs, Maurizio Cattelan, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Fondazione Prada, and orchestras like Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. Partnerships included co-productions with National Theatre, Royal Opera House, Schaubühne, Teatro Massimo Palermo, Teatro Nacional de São Carlos, Festival d'Automne à Paris, and residencies at centers like Centre Pompidou, Tate Modern, and MAXXI. Multimedia commissions enlisted collaborators from Rai Cinema, BBC Arts, Arte France, and contemporary choreographers connected to Broadway and West End theatrical practitioners. Philanthropic and arts councils involved included Fondazione Cariplo, Fondazione CRT, British Council, Goethe-Institut, and DAAD.

Tours and International Presence

Touring history spans Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania with performances in cities such as London, Paris, Berlin, New York City, Los Angeles, Toronto, São Paulo, Buenos Aires, Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai, Beijing, Sydney, Melbourne, Cairo, Johannesburg, and festivals including Spoleto Festival USA, Festival Internacional de Música y Danza de Granada, Perth Festival, Hong Kong Arts Festival, and Taipei Arts Festival. Engagements with presenters and promoters included Lincoln Center, Sadler's Wells Theatre, Kennedy Center, Hanna-Barbera-era promoters, and cultural institutions like Institut Français, Istituto Italiano di Cultura, and Embassy of Italy branches worldwide. Touring cultivated exchange with national companies such as Batsheva Dance Company, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, and Sydney Dance Company.

Education and Outreach

Educational initiatives connected to conservatories and academies include programs with Accademia Nazionale di Danza, Scuola di Ballo del Teatro alla Scala, Conservatorio di Milano, Conservatorio di Parma, and university departments at Università di Bologna, University of Oxford, and New York University performing arts centers. Outreach projects engaged municipal schools in Reggio Emilia, cultural programs funded by European Cultural Foundation, workshops hosted at Jerwood Space, and collaborations with youth dance companies affiliated with Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Codarts Rotterdam. Vocational training and masterclasses featured guest teachers from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Royal Ballet School, Juilliard School, The Place, and Trinity Laban Conservatoire.

Category:Italian dance companies