Dancing in the Piazza Maggiore, Bologna
Last night we experienced true Italian culture. Sitting in the Piazza Maggiore, the huge square in the middle of Bologna, we enjoyed a program of ballet and modern dance. After one of our group was introduced over the loudspeakers as being a 'guest from CBS News London' and the aisles filled to overflowing with spectators, the lights came down and the sounds of classical music began.
Before the show we met the director of this prestigious group, Frederic Olivieri, who is from France and has lived in Bologna since 1997. He has taken his professional troupe to the world's major cities, and will be in Bejing for the Olympics next year. This performance was of the students in the Accademia Teatro alla Scala, tomorrow's stars some of whom will join the pros in the years ahead.
It was inspiring that so many people here pack a performance for dance. And the dancers were lovely, the gestures, the graceful lines, the artistic flow using their bodies to show emotions. I've never been a big dance fan but this one really struck me. It was simply beautiful and the litheness and grace of the young men and women kept us riveted.
Then we retired to a pizzaria for an eleven o'clock pizza and some beers. The pizzas here all come solo--no sharing of pies--and they aren't cut up. My anchovie and fresh mozzarella version was perfect and nobody complained about my little fishies.
Before the show we met the director of this prestigious group, Frederic Olivieri, who is from France and has lived in Bologna since 1997. He has taken his professional troupe to the world's major cities, and will be in Bejing for the Olympics next year. This performance was of the students in the Accademia Teatro alla Scala, tomorrow's stars some of whom will join the pros in the years ahead.
It was inspiring that so many people here pack a performance for dance. And the dancers were lovely, the gestures, the graceful lines, the artistic flow using their bodies to show emotions. I've never been a big dance fan but this one really struck me. It was simply beautiful and the litheness and grace of the young men and women kept us riveted.
Then we retired to a pizzaria for an eleven o'clock pizza and some beers. The pizzas here all come solo--no sharing of pies--and they aren't cut up. My anchovie and fresh mozzarella version was perfect and nobody complained about my little fishies.
posted by Max Hartshorne at 2:04 AM
1 Comments:
I too have memories of hanging out in this piazza. Mine involved drinking entirely too many lattes and then walking away shaking like a Kramer-on-Seinfeld routine.
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