Pier Giacomo Cirella, commissioner for NID Platform 2017
Curated by Lisa Cadamuro – NID Platform editorial staff
Pier Giacomo Cirella has been in charge of the dance sector of ARTEVEN-Circuito Teatrale Regionale del Veneto (the regional network of theatres) for many years. From 2003 to 2010 he was the national president of ADEP-Associazione Danza Esercizio e Promozione (the association for the practice and the promotion of dance) and vice-president of Federdanza-AGIS, and is among the promoters of the project Anticorpi XL for young auteur dance and of NID Platform. He is a member of the artistic Committee of NID Platform 2017.
You have been appointed as a commissioner for NID Platform 2017. What are its streghts, in your opinion?
NID Platform is the most important project for dance we have in Italy. I think its main strength is the fact that it gives the opportunity to see all Italian dance at a glance, and to meet operators and friends at an internaitonal level at the same time.
Do you believe that nowadays there is a new creativity in Italian dance?
There is for sure, but in a sporadic way. There are waves of creativity, both from young and older people, and then everything disappears for quite some time. I think this shows that the dance system is not in very good shape. Much is due to the ups-and-downs of the showbusiness and of public support – private support, with few exceptions, is non-existent.
What are your expectations from the companies and shows which will apply to NID Platform 2017?
Emotions and most of all a lot of dancing. I don’t like “mannequins”.
What are the problems that the Italian dance sector is currently facing, and what would you suggest in order to overcome these obstacles?
The main obstacle is the fact of being always considered an “optional” in the showbusiness: there has never been an actual and official acknlowledgement of the importance of this discipline, giving it the same dignity as drama and music. There has been considerable support and funding from the ministry over the last few years, this is out of doubt and it has to be acknowledged; but this is not enough, especially for what concerns the most important phase – the training and the growth of the dancer or choreographer. Fortunately some projects have been started recently in this respect, making up for the lack of a real system of growth: I am talking about the project Anticorpi XL, of course.
What sort of advice would you give to a young Italian choreographer/dancer?
Study a lot and work even harder. Keep your body always ready for all the possible implications of dance. Always train with teachers and technicians, and do not turn down anything when it comes to study opportunities. Everything helps to grow with your own personality and a style, which is unique to you and makes you feel fulfilled. Even for being a “mannequin” – in the sense I meant above – you need a trained and toned body.
One of the latest developments in NID Platform 2017 is the effort to find a point of contact with the public. Does such a thing as a “public of contemporary dance” exist? If so, what can NID Platform offer to this public?
The public exists but it needs to be helped, instead of being left at the mercy of senseless projects. I believe that many – including me – understimate the public, which is much more trained and sensitive than we think. The public acknoledges quality shows, even though people may not undesrtand immediately what they see. Besides, quality does not depend only on the depth of the subject and object of the choreography, but on all the components of the show – including movement, which has to be perfect in its imperfection. If people do not go to the teatre, this is because they have been deceived before. And a presentation from an expert is not enough: we need a long process of approach and sharing, intended for everyone, because a work which does not relate to the public and does not take into account that the public is the final recipient simply cannot exists. If we do not start from this assumption, contemporary dance has no reason to exist.