Scheherezade

Mauro Bigonzetti, long-time artistic director of Aterballetto, Reggio Emilia, is a great innovator of modern dance, one of the world's most acclaimed ballet creators and a sensitive storyteller. Blending contemporary and classical language, he reveals and represents the beauty of the human body almost like a sculptor, but his works are far from academic. Bigonzetti has previously worked with the Czech National Ballet on three occasions. In 2016, Prague hosted his Vertigo to great acclaim; in 2019, the State Theatre hosted the world premiere of Kafka: The Trial; and in the 2023/24 season, the State Opera presented his choreography of Franz Schubert's Death and the Maiden as part of the Holo Harmonies project.

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov did not compose the symphonic suite Scheherazade with the intention of adapting it for dance. Making the most of his extraordinary sense of refined and expansive orchestration, and inspired by his travels in Asia, he created a wonderful piece of music, full of enchanting and melancholic melodies and poignant drama. Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade was first adapted for ballet by Michel Fokine. The 1910 production, with opulent sets by Léon Bakst, was the sensation of the Ballets Russes season. Performed all over the world, it has become an integral part of global culture.

Fokine's work, one of the first erotic choreographies, was also a celebration of physical beauty. Mauro Bigonzetti, an artist gifted with immense imagination and talent, captivates audiences with the magic of theatre.