Alessandro Sciarroni Aurora

Aurora is the third part of a triptych by the Italian choreographer Alessandro Sciarroni. The titles of the first two were Folk-s and Untitled. What links these three pieces together? Naturally, it has nothing to do with narrative, nor story, nor characters, but rather with a formal principle: that of taking an activity or practice that already exists outside of the realms of theatre, and then giving it staging and rhythm to see the effect it has. Folk-s was conceived on these lines using a folklore dance that has been popular in the Tyrolean region for some years, Untitled took a fresh look at juggling, and Aurora tackles the little-known sport of goalball. This sport, a paralympic discipline, is the domain of the blind or visually impaired. A mixture of handball and football, its participants compete in two teams of three. The aim is to direct the ball (roughly the same size as a basket-ball) into special cages running along the length of the playing area. Attackers are only allowed to use their hands, meanwhile defenders can use their whole body to protect their goal area. Inside the ball is a bell, enabling the players to locate the ball. Alessandro Sciarroni has clearly been drawn to this sport in particular. As a choreographer whose dance displays an immense sensitivity to rhythm in all its forms, this sport has enabled him to create a dramaturgical structure that hinges as much on the circulation of sounds as on the construction of powerful images.