"IMA"
“The universe is movement as an end in itself, pleasure to create, vitality that is constantly renewed: everything is dance.
It is implicit, in this perspective, a message: you are not alone; however precarious, isolated, or desperate you may feel, you participate in one immense dance; [...]
If you want to become aware of this union and perceive reality in its deepest essence, dance".
“Esperienze delle Vette” di Piero Ferrucci
The name "Ima" is a Japanese term indicating "the present moment"; in Aramaic and Hebrew "Ima" also stands for "mother", referring to rebirth and renewal. IMA was imagined during the period of social distancing due to COVID-19 emergency. IMA is a choreographic project for 5 dancers of the company KOMOCO, directed by Sofia Nappi, born on commission of Marie Chouinard, director of the 14th Contemporary Dance Festival of the Venice Biennale. The premiere of a short version of the work (20 minutes) will be presented in Venice on October 22, 2020.
Biography
Sofia Nappi, choreographer and professional dancer, graduated in 2017 from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City to then deepen her studies with Hofesh Shechter and the Batsheva Dance Company, where she is currently training as an ambassador of Gaga technique, Ohad Naharin’s movement language. Interpreter of works signed by internationally renowned artists including Sita Ostheimer, Jon Ole Olstad, Alvin Ailey, Brice Mousset, Alessio Silvestrin, Sidra Bell, Netta Yerushalmy, Juel D. Lane, Clifton Brown, Earl Mosley, Robert Moses, she is the artistic director and co-founder of her project KOMOCO together with the composer and violinist Alice Nappi.
Their very first creation won the 3rd prize at the Netherlands Choreography Competition 2018. Later Sofia Nappi was resident choreographer at Nimbus Dance Works (New York, USA) for her creation Wabi-Sabi, which was invited to be presented at OFFLINE Pro Arts (Jersey City, NJ), The Bridge for Dance (Manhattan, NY), The Evening of Contemporary Dance (Brooklyn, NY), Short and Sweet Festival (Hollywood, CA) and CreateArt (Manhattan, NY) during the months of October and November 2018.
In 2019 Sofia Nappi won the international call for young choreographers at the Venice Biennale, under the direction of Marie Chouinard. For the year 2020 Sofia was commissioned 6 world premieres, including a new creation for Nimbus Dance Company premiering at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York and she won the Showcase 2020 Call as a young choreographer with a new commission for EgriBianco Danza, for DART Dance Company in Budapest and for the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance in Israel.
