Inspired by Samuel Beckett‘s 1961 play “Oh les beaux jours” (Happy days) and created by Maurice Béjart for Carla Fracci and Micha van Hoecke in 1998, “L’Heure Exquise” is a choreographic piece that stops the uncontainable flow of time by recalling precious moments of life.
In the creation of Béjart, who takes care of the direction and makes use of the essential scenes and lights of Roger Bernard and the simple costumes of Luisa Spinatelli, the days are concentrated and become an exquisite hour of dance. Winnie, in the “Bejartian” imagery, turns from actress into dancer and is surrounded by a sea of pointe shoes – in Beckett’s text by a huge pile of sand – and submerged by an equally large sea of memories and objects of her profession. But she is not alone: next to her is Willy, the partner who supports her with the strength and delicacy of an imperishable human and choreographic partnership.
In this piece, the aged dancer Winnie is Alessandra Ferri who celebrates forty years of career. Like Virginia Woolf, Eleonora Duse and Léa di Chéri, all exceptional women, this is another great female character for the protagonist, while Willy is played by Massimo Murru, a former partner.
Website: www.teatrostabileveneto.it
Location: Goldoni Theater, Venice
Schedule: May 11 – 12, 2022
