Echoes – Bonachela / Eyal / Tortelli
Echoes, a ballet triple bill highlighting the esteemed choreography of Rafael Bonachela, Sharon Eyal and Diego Tortelli, graces the stage of the wonderful Teatro Nazionale in Rome. Featuring the ballet corps and principal dancers of the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, this balletic programme showcases some of the most fascinating works of the 21st century. This event is sure to enthral all fans of contemporary ballet in the heart of the Eternal City.
Echoes opens with a performance of 6 Breaths, a ballet devised by Rafael Bonachela and Ezio Bosso. The late Italian composer, Bosso, wrote music specifically for the ballet, choreographed by Bonachela, who was born in Spain. Bosso's music is divided into six sections to match the ballet's framework. Each part opens with a solo piano mixed with the sound of breaths of different lengths. The main sections are played by six cellos, sometimes with a piano accompaniment. The choreographic style Bonachela uses for 6 Breaths combines fluid and physically demanding movements with expressive partnering. Rather than telling a conventional story, the abstract choreography responds closely to Bosso's score, exploring different forms of breathing through dance. It received its world premiere at the Sydney Theatre, Australia, on 19 March 2010.
Sharon Eyal's Jakie is the next ballet on the programme. The France-based Israeli choreographer set Jakie to music by Ori Lichtik, known for his percussive sound and DJ work. Created for the Nederlands Dans Theater with Gai Behar, the ballet was first performed on 11 May 2023, at Amare in The Hague in the Netherlands. Eyal's distinctive choreography is clearly evident in Jakie, a contemporary ballet in which the dancers cluster closely together, often balancing on their toes, typically using controlled, minimal movements to create intensity. Eyal's choreography combines delicacy with strength, while Lichtik's techno-infused score gives the dancers' movements a hypnotic, pulsating quality.
Echoes is completed by Pink Floyd’s Diamonds, a ballet choreographed by Diego Tortelli, who also designed the set and costumes. A new ballet for the 2026/27 season, this work is receiving its world premiere on 20 April 2027 at Teatro Nazionale, where it reignites Tortelli's enthusiasm for the music of Pink Floyd, one of the UK's most popular rock bands. Tortelli has previously choreographed music by the band for his work, ICONIC: Pink Floyd, in 2025. This ballet explores the expressive possibilities in bringing contemporary dance and rock music together in a work conceived specifically for Pink Floyd's much-loved music.
With three contemporary ballets and the dancers of the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma performing them, Echoes at Rome's Teatro Nazionale offers an insight into contemporary dance and the distinct choreographic styles of Bonachela, Eyal and Tortelli.