Marco Berrettini
Contamination

Contamination "…and there are highly toxic substances inside of it. A direct connection exists between the dimension of an author and the dangerousness of the materials with which he deals and which he tries to master. The neutral only gives birth to the neutral, the danger gives birth to the thought, the mind, and when the mind gets to the point where it takes a form, we have a moment of art. Any person who can claim to call himself a writer contaminates himself with the materials he deals with..." Peter Sloterdijk The Coaching Project Contamination would like to treat, through the dance-language, the subject of Meeting the Other, the Unknown. In the era of Facebook, Twitter and all the dating sites, the question could be coherent, if we haven't already developed too many, too superficial and terribly unnecessarily detailed criteria and parameters of the human encounter and of the evaluation of others. And all this even before looking into each other's eyes. And do all these Curriculum-vitae-criteria, who are on our minds, hinder us to have a contemplative attitude facing the unknown? Is humility in facing the stranger still an option? Has a "sphere" of the intimacy become impossible? Do we not, constantly, filter reality, in order to preserve ourselves and cover our own weakness? How does dance translate these new social circumstances, desires and patterns of behaviour? In which way could dance mirror this new computer-generation? And how could one question the technique in dance, when one opposes these kinds of items? For the artist, the dancer, the performance-artist, this confrontation with oneself, with the darkest sides of our own being, might be sometimes a painful working-procedure, but certainly a necessary process, in order to take "positions" and "attitudes" inside the contemporary dance of our times. "Diving" is probably the most adequate expression, in order to describe the level of investment required for this workshop. That is my wish. I've noticed that there haven't been any kinds of new styles, aesthetics or ideological currents in these last few years of contemporary dance. In my eyes, obviously a negative development. Maybe, and that seems only partially an answer, have artists taken a certain distance from daily life because, as many of us, modern life pushes us towards individuality. Seems as a common way to find shelter and consolation. It appears to me that time has come for new risks and new pain, in order to laugh without cynicism. Who says "encounter" says "introspection, self-reflection" too. And the one who reflects about himself, has to open up himself, necessarily. And, the one who says "Yes" to this joyful event, has to be able to say "Please" too. I would like to start up the Coaching in the studio, and develop exercises, discussions, writings and improvisations to the theme "encounter" and "contamination". Build dramaturgical bridges between life and movement. The next step will be to try and encounter other people of the ImPulsTanz-campus and to let flow these experiences into our work. The last and conclusive phase will be to meet other people all around Vienna. To make new experiences of any kind; that's what one calls: "to jump over one’s own shadow". It is never easy to meet strangers and we never know how that could transform us. We will enhance the observation, the discrete curiosity, the patience and the understanding. It's exactly this "grey" area between half-passive and half-active conviviality that I am mostly interested in. I am not looking for assimilation, forced friendship, collaboration at any price. It's more about being oneself and even more than oneself. And to think about these transformations and revelations. Because finally all will be about how to use it with our body, in dance. This Coaching Project is mostly addressed to all curious people, even if I'd prefer that one has a strong experience in dance. I believe that my work-themes are not easy to treat and it would be time-sparing if we would spend too much time avoiding and transforming kitsch, pathos and all kinds of reflects, in order to make something more interesting appear. And finally, a public "run-through" could be an interesting idea, at the end of the week. Marco Berrettini is an Italian dancer and choreographer. His interest in dancing began in 1978, when he won the German championship of Disco Dancing. There upon he decided to improve his technical skills. In the next following three years, he took a multitude of classes and workshops in Jazz Dance, Modern Dance and Classical Ballet. Next to his regular school education, he worked for the Ballroom Dance School Bier in Wiesbaden as a choreographer for Gala Nights. He directed 28 male and female amateur dancers. In order to improve the Shows, he watched American Musical movies for the first time in his life. With his dancers he studied and stole and adapted some dance scenes from West Side Story to Eastern Parade. After his A levels, he started a professional dance-formation; first at the London School of Contemporary Dance, then at the Folkwangschulen Essen, under the direction of Hans Züllig and Pina Bausch. In Essen and Wuppertal he developed his interest for the German Tanztheater and choreographed his first contemporary Solo: "the horny Santa Claus". Since that time, the Jooss/Laban/Leeder/Cecchetti technique meant everything to him and in the next 10 years he would work under the influence of Pina Bausch's Tanztheater. Especially concerning the "form" of how a show is build. There seemed to be a great amount of freedom and possibilities. But concerning the "content", Berrettini seemed much more sceptical. Berrettini belonged to the 1980ies and the psychoanalytical work of most of the big contemporary companies did not appeal to him. One could feel a change of generation. Straight after the diploma as a dancer he tried to build up his own company in Wiesbaden. One must say, without any success. Retrospectively it could be mentioned that at the beginning of the 1980ies independent dance companies weren't really helped at all in Germany and the audience would be strictly used to frequent the state-theatres. Also, Berrettini's work wasn't the most communicative. Next to his attempts to be recognised as a good, new, revolutionary choreographer, he studied European Ethnology, Cultural Anthropology and Theatre-Sciences at the Frankfurt University. For few years, Berrettini fighted rather badly his way through dance. He could have had easily a job as a classical dancer or at the Wuppertaler Tanztheater, but he seriously believed that one day his career will work. In the meantime he payed his rent by playing Backgammon and giving amateur-classes. In 1988 he signed a contract with a French dance company. He was fed up with Germany and hoped that France would offer new opportunities. This time he was luckier. Besides his work for the choreographer Georges Appaix, he created his own pieces. The name of his Company was Tanzplantation. In 1999 the Kampnagel Theatre in Hamburg produced his show "MULTI(S)ME". Following the advice of the Kampnagel Director Res Bosshart, his Company of 12 members, changed its name. *MELK PROD. was born. Since then Marco Berrettini produced more than 25 pieces in collaboration with his Company, and won some prizes like the ZKB PRIZE at the Theaterspektakel Festival in Zürich, what ever it means to win prizes for choreography. In 2005 "No Paraderan" opened at the Theatre de la Ville in Paris. A huge scandal broke off at the opening night. Few spectators even wanted to beat Berrettini up, waiting for him at the artist's entrance. In less than 6 months the company lost the support of the theatres *MELK PROD. used to work with. No money, no gigs anymore. For two years the company would really have a hard time and 3 members of the crew had to leave for financial reasons. But since 2007 the situation seems to be stable again. His last piece "*MELK PROD. goes to New Orleans" (for which the company has really travelled to New Orleans in order to create the piece), they reconquered the audience. His dancers, the youngest 26, the oldest 57 years old, improved through the years. Just like good red wine. Berrettini's work spreads widely. From the Performance in Museums to movie-productions with foreign film-directors; from Video-Installations at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris to festive dinner parties with famous people who don't know him at all. At the present Berrettini works on the piece "Si, Viaggiare". A piece for 9 dancers who will try to translate Peter Sloterdijk's book: "Blasen" in theatrically exploitable material. The opening night will be in July 2011 in Vienna. But his best "creation" is and will be Stella, his 6 year old daughter with whom he lives in Geneva. Marco Berrettini for Marco Berrettini The new piece "Si, Viaggiare" will be shown at this year's ImPulsTanz Festival.