L'Attesa (The Wait)

BY CECILIA BERTONI WITH CARL G. BEUKMAN
2010

L'Attesa (The Wait) is conceived as the first stage of the performance Riflessi in Bianco e Nero (Trilogia dell'Assenza) by Cecilia Bertoni.
--
“Glattes Eis ein Paradeis fuer dem der gut zu tanzen weiss”

["Smooth ice is paradice for those who dance with expertise"]

--                                                                                   
“Hier sitz’ ich wartend- wartend? doch auf Nichts,
Jenseits von Gut und Boese, und de Lichts
nicht mehr geluestend als Dunkelheit,
Dem Mittags Freund und Freund der Ewigkeit.”

[“Here I sit, waiting – waiting?  But for nothing,
Beyond good and evil, and for the light
No more longing than for the darkness.
To midday friend, and a friend of eternity.”]
Friedrich Nietzsche

Cecilia Bertoni

Cecilia Bertoni (1961) was born and grew up in Italy, but lived elsewhere. Poetry, musicality, the architecture of the body and of space in movement – or not, and their dynamics – are the subjects of her research. The spaces suspended between life and death, between dreaming and awake, are the scenes in which these subjects play and are played out, like fragments of memory and of longing: the absence of what is no more and what is yet to be. The instruments of the narrative vary between dance, drama, photography, embroidery, drawing, installation and video. They develop in neutral spaces, or give life to a dialogue with the outside spaces in nature and/or are site-specific. Creator of the entire Dello Scompiglio Project which expands the concept of culture to encompass the environment, the landscape, the agriculture and the Cucina, she is the co-founder and artistic director of the Associazione Culturale Dello Scompiglio based in Vorno (Lucca).  Her eclectic training included contributions from Philippe Gaulier, Monica Pagneaux and many collaborators of Theatre de Complicite (London) and she has worked abroad as director, performer, choreographer, set designer and dramaturge in numerous projects with the principle aim of harmonising, blending and contrasting different forms of art in her compositions. Before returning to Italy, she was co-founder and artistic director of the company Circle-X Arts, London, for which she choreographed and directed several shows in which she also performed. Her recent works as choreograher, director and set designer include Vanishing Act, presented at Resolution, The Place's Festival in London. She qualified as a teacher of the Feldenkrais^® Method.

Carl G. Beukman was born in Sint Maartensdijk (Zeeland,The Netherlands) in 1960, and is now a resident of The Hague. After many years as a bass player, his interests have shifted towards composition and sound design, mainly for the theatre.  He is always looking for the perfect combination of sound, image and text within the theatrical and performance environment, and in video. His musical influences come from contemporary classical music and rock.
His starting points are often organic sounds, such as recordings of nature (animals, wind, the snapping of a vegetable, etc.). These sounds are then manipulated by the artist and combined with acoustic and synthesized instruments.  In this way he tries to create a world that does not exist and, in combination with other art forms, finds his escape from reality.