Hanami
Wide public / 2008

In Japan, Hanami (which literally means « look at the flowers ») is a traditional custom that has become very popular.  It celebrates the Spring Cherry Bloom.
In ancient times, poets praised the delicate flowers, beautiful and luminous but temporary and ephemeral. 

Gaetano Battezzato diverts this metaphor and chooses to pay homage to the Art of Dance and its Artists through this image of blossoming.

Each Artist expresses his interpretation by means of a solo built halfway between his own personnel universe and the vision of the Choreographer.

Wanting to go further than the metaphor, Gaetano wished to make the effervescent quality of the flower real; this being the base of his research when writing and constructing the solos.

Directing the Artist in the most fragile, personnel, intimate direction was not an easy task to accomplish – seeking to materialize through the Artist both the effervescence and ephemeral character of Dance.

Production: Opéra Théâtre de Saint-Étienne, Régie du Spectacle de Montélimar
Choreography: Gaetano Battezzato
Dancers: Gaetano Battezzato, Julien Gaillac, Marie-Zénobie Harlay, Jan Jamrich
Music design: Olivier Mutshler
Lighting design : Gianfranco Lucchino
Video design: Gaetano Battezzato
Costume design: Gaetano Battezzato
Décor and costumes: Ateliers de l’Opéra-Théâtre de Saint-Etienne

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