Aria Tango…Bolero

The unforgettable and irreplaceable artist Micha van Hoecke would have turned 80 on July 22, 2024, but he passed away in 2021, leaving the dance world stunned and dismayed. A monumental figure in Italian dance, where he had resided for over thirty years, Micha van Hoecke is undoubtedly one of the most influential figures who left an indelible mark. He is missed by many friends, by those who admired his extraordinary human and artistic qualities, and by the audience who passionately and eagerly followed his sensitive works. A generous artist who deeply loved theater and dance, the Balletto di Milano dedicates its tribute to him on this special birthday by restaging his creation Aria Tango. Restaged by his beloved wife, dancer Miki Matsuse, Aria Tango (2013) is set to pieces by Oscar-winning composer Luis Bacalov. Strongly autobiographical, the Choreographic Poem, as Micha van Hoecke liked to call it, is rooted in the tango and gypsy cultures so dear to the choreographer. Without any didactic intent and in a timeless and surreal atmosphere, it conveys emotions, fears, passions, and states of mind.

In the second part of the evening, the emotions of the Tango give way to those of the Bolero in an exclusive version by Balletto di Milano, choreographed by Adriana Mortelliti to the renowned score by Maurice Ravel, celebrating seduction. In the musical and choreographic crescendo, sinuous bodies weave a dance that culminates in a surprising finale.