After creating many solo pieces, Italien dancer and choreographer Chiara Bersani expands her choreographic universe to include a chorus of non-normative bodies in her new piece, Michel – The Animals I Am.

Michel – The Animals I Am stems from the desire to transform exception into collectivity, an intimate gesture into a choral event.  

The  title refers to Michel Petrucciani (1962-1999), the acclaimed jazz pianist who shared the same genetic condition as Bersani. The reference does not aim to highlight his artistic genius but to summon a multitude – as if to say: look, there are many of us.  

On stage, three Italian performers, collaborating with the choreographer for the first time, become ‘a chorus of many Michels, many brilliant people with non-normative bodies.’  

‘Michel – The Animals I Am’ also points toward a broader collective effort: to create paths where artists with disabilities can grow, work, and be seen.  

Dansehallerne present ‘Michel – The Animals I Am’ as part of the festival OPENINGS. With the festival, we open up for top-class international performances and strong national talents. For a wide spectrum of dancing bodies: older bodies, smaller bodies, bodies of different shapes and colors. For the iconic and the surprising. For other perspectives. OPENINGS celebrates the joy of dance and makes dance accessible to everyone.

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