Brilliant, visionary and happily inimitable, Jean-Claude Gallotta is rightly considered the leader of contemporary French dance and is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most interesting choreographers of this end of the century. With his group Emile Dubois, founded in Grenoble in 1979, Gallotta has created an unmistakable theatrical style, overflowing with the invention of situations and images intimately linked to each other by an indisputable authorial path. His is an authentic, brazen and intriguing expressive language. He breaks every code to show off a way of dancing that does not allow itself to be caged in any restful category. A contemporary “spiritual heir” of Béjart for his conception of total art, Gallotta wanted to bring together in his Company dancers, actors, musicians, visual artists, most of whom are still at his side today. Among these, we cannot fail to mention exceptional performers such as Mathilde Altaraz, Pascal Gravat, Robert Seyfred and the original self-taught musician Henry Torgue, all co-founders of the Company.
From 1980 to today, after the debuts of “Waslaw-sédir”, “Pas de Quatre” and “Mouvements”, Gallotta has signed a dozen shows “Ulysse” (’81), “Grandeur Nature” and “Daphnis et Chloé” (1982), “Yves P.” Act I and II and “Les Survivants” (1983), “Les Aventures d’Ivan Vaffan” (1984), “Mammane” first part (1986), the revised version of the two parts of Mammane, brought together in a single work for the Biennale de la Nouvelle Danse in Montreal and entitled “Mammame Montréal” (1987), “Docteur Labus” (1988), “Les Mistères de Subal” (1990), “La Légende de Romeo et Juliette” (1991).
Starting with the creation of “La Légende de Romeo et Juliette”, he inaugurated a form of performance he called D.T.M.: danse texte musique. The suggestive stammerings of some of his previous works leave room for a real text. Gallotta’s talented dancers act, sing, transforming themselves into the interpreters of a dazed and exciting contemporary revisitation of classical themes. This process continues with “La Légende de Don Juan”, the 1992 creation commissioned by the Seville Expo and presented in Rovereto. The Don Giovanni gallottino, already mentioned in “La Légende de Romeo et Juliette” popular singer and father of Romeo, is a character – as can be read in Lyne Chamberlain’s portrait – who has had nothing but his memory to live by. No mother, no singular woman. Not even a surname… He plays at leading a woman astray from her path. When he succeeds, he turns his back and takes care of something else… He will leave nothing behind him. A little horn of nails (the guitar), a little saliva (the trombone), a little enchantment (desire) in the place where nothing lasts, where everything returns.
Along with “La Légende de Don Juan”, Gallotta presents in Rovereto a world premiere creation, created for the Festival and interpreted by himself. The piece, dedicated to his mother, a native of Brescia, is entitled “Le Solo des Origines”. The homage to Gallotta is completed with a photographic exhibition by Pietro Tauro and the screening of two films dedicated to his work.
