The “Scheherazade, One Thousand and One Nights” (“Shéhérazade, e le mille e una notte”) dance was performed at the prestigious Théâtre municipal de Tunis by the Il Balletto del Sud troupe as the grand finale of the local Italian Cultural Institute’s annual programme.
Il Balletto del Sud, a troupe considered by critics to be “the best Italian company in the abstract narrative category” (Michele Nocera), will perform Scheherazade, One Thousand and One Nights: a one-act, four scene ballet inspired by the eastern tales of Antoine Galland, with music by Nicolaj Rimskij-Korsakov and choreography by Fredy Franzutti. The exoticism recalled by that opulent time in the Middle East should not be seen generically as an “idyllic place” but as a way to recall the luxury and lust of the East and remind us of the glorious history of Arab-Muslim countries, the splendour of Baghdad, and the power of the city of Palmira. The performance, arranged as an interaction between dance and theatre – the dance scenes relate to the texts recited by the actor Andrea Sirianni – and the enchanting setting and sensual narration was a big hit with the public right from the start when it debuted at the Miami International Piano Festival of 2003. It has also won important critics awards in its national and international tours, Algiers 2011, Constantine, 2015.
