Bodies on Glass
“Bodies on Glass” was born from the encounter between pianist Andrea Rebaudengo and choreographer Diego Tortelli, through an almost immediate creative process. The work, based on the concepts of memory and trust, is an hypnotic and intense piece dictated by the repetitive rhythms of composer Philip Glass.
The dancers move to more fragile and slippery choreographic scores, which lead them to alternate moments of choreographed material with a precise form with moments of improvisation. Like Philip Glass's music, dance also introduces an appreciation for compositional processes rather than for the final composition. The viewer and listener is taken back to an earlier level of creation, to the arithmetic underlying the expression of the work. Its rhythmic, melodic and harmonic structure is laid bare, like the detail of an elaborate fabric analysed under a microscope; at the same time it remains ephemeral, transitory, like the dance of bodies which, once manifested, vanish and remain only as a memory for the eyes of the observers, leaving only a sensation, a suspended atmosphere.
The title thus acquires a double meaning: it refers both to “bodies dancing to Glass's music” and “bodies on glass”, bodies gliding over musical notes, leaving imprints on the transparent surface of fragile glass.
This work was initially created for the bodies of male dancers Tom Van de Ven and Cristian Cucco: during the residency at Orsolina28 it will be adapted to be danced by female artist Minouche Van de Ven.
Diego Tortelli
Diego Tortelli (1987) trained at Milan’s Accademia Teatro alla Scala before performing with Ballet de Teatres Valencia, Luna Negra Dance Theater Chicago, and Ballet National de Marseille. Since 2015 he has developed a distinctive choreographic voice, creating works for Teatro Massimo, MCA Chicago, and international festivals. Resident choreographer at Aterballetto since 2019, he has also founded his own Munich-based company. His repertoire spans stage works, site-specific projects, and films, with highlights including Biennale Danza, Staatsballett Hannover, Greek National Opera, digital art collective FUSE, and major fashion houses.
Andrea Rebaudengo
Andrea Rebaudengo, born in 1972, studied piano and composition with Paolo Bordoni, Lazar Berman, Alexander Lonquich, Andrzej Jasinsky and Danilo Lorenzini. Winner of first prize at the 1998 Pescara International Piano Competition, he has played for the most important Italian concert institutions, including La Scala in Milan and the Unione Musicale in Turin. With his ensemble Sentieri selvaggi, he has performed at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome, the Bang-on-a-can Marathon in New York, Dom in Moscow, Sacrum Profanum in Krakow and the Venice Biennale, and I Concerti del Quirinale, often presenting premieres by contemporary composers and collaborating with composers such as Louis Andriessen, Michael Nyman, David Lang, James MacMillan, Julia Wolfe, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Luca Francesconi and Ivan Fedele. Among his collaborations, those with the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia and the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della Rai stand out.
Tom van de Ven
Tom van de Ven is a Dutch contemporary dance artist and arts management professional. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Performing Arts from Codarts, Hogeschool voor de Kunsten, and has completed his pre-professional training at Fontys Hogeschool voor de Kunsten. He also holds a Master’s degree in Arts & Culture Management from Rome Business School in collaboration on with VUI. Van de Ven began his professional career as a Soloist with Tanz Luzerner Theater in Switzerland and later joined Aterballetto - Fondazione Nazionale della Danza in Italy, where he contributed to a wide range of contemporary productions. Following his time at Aterballetto, he has been working as a freelance dancer, assistant, and teacher, collaborating with various institutions and artists across Europe. His freelance work includes assisting Philippe Kratz in a creation for Tanz Mainz, restaging works by Diego Tortelli at the Greek National Opera, and resetting "S", a choreographic work by Kratz, at Teatro dell’Opera di Roma. Currently, van de Venis engaged in new creations with various artists, touring existing works, assisting choreographers and teaching workshops. As a performer, he has appeared in works by Ohad Naharin, Marcos Morau, Johan Inger, Jiří Kylián, Felix Landerer, among others.
Cristian Cucco
Cristian Cucco is a passionate Italian artist, captivated by the expressive and communicative power of the human body. After completing his studies at Accademia Susanna Beltrami in Milan, he began his professional journey with Compagnia Susanna Beltrami and DanceHaus Company. Since 2012, Cristian has thrived as a freelance artist, collaborating with a wide range of innovative choreographers and companies, including Omar Rajeh, Matteo Carvone, Diego Tortelli, Heidi Vierthaler, Liliana Barros, Moritz Ostruschnjak, Aterballetto, Compagnia Abbondanza Bertoni, Emanuel Gat, Giuliano Scarpinato, Aristide Rontini, Marigia Maggipinto, and Compagnia Balletto Teatro di Torino.Driven by an insatiable curiosity for artistic exploration, Cristian has also expanded into choreography, creating works for institutions such as IED (Istituto Europeo di Design), Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana, and several prestigious fashion brands. These interdisciplinary experiences have allowed him to merge his passion for movement with other art forms. In 2018, together with Alice Beatrice Carrino, he co-founded the authorial project |duonux|.
Minouche van de Ven
Born in the Netherlands in 1997, Minouche studied at the Amsterdam University of the Arts, where she graduated in 2018. In the 2017-2018 season, she was an intern at the Batsheva Dance Company Ensemble, dancing choreographies by Ohad Naharin, Roy Assaf and Liat Waysbort. In the 2018-2019 season, she was a freelance dancer for creations by Liat Waysbort and Thibaut Eiferman. In the 2019-2020 season, she joined the Rambert Dance Company, dancing in creations by Ohad Naharin, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui & Damien Jalet, Jermaine Spivey and Andrea Miller. Minouche has been a member of Aterballetto since August 2020.