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AUDIENCE REVIEW: "RIZOMA" by Choreographer Cecilia Fontanesi in Collaboration with Visual Artist Fred Hatt

Company:
Cecilia Fontanesi with Fred Hatt

Performance Date:
November 30, 2023

Freeform Review:

I had the privilege of attending "RIZOMA" by dancer Cecilia Fontanesi in collaboration with the visual artist Fred Hatt at the Barnard Movement Lab. This performance is a brilliant fusion of dance, visual art, and science that challenges your mind while deeply moving your heart.

Fontanesi's choreography is not just movement. You could feel the symbiotic relationships she embodies, with gestures conveying the complexity and beauty of underground networks, root systems, and the intricate dance of life. Fred Hatt's visuals added a whimsical, almost dreamlike dimension with vibrant, flowing art that seemed to pulse with the natural world's rhythms.

What I found most inspiring was how "RIZOMA" elegantly bridges the gap between art and science, drawing from neuroscience and environmental philosophy to tell a story about cooperation, predation, and natural harmony. It made me think about intelligence in a new way—not as something hierarchical but as a web of interactions, all crucial to survival and balance.

Ethically, the piece is strikingly relevant. It reminds us of our responsibility to recognize and protect the interdependence that exists within ecosystems—between species, plants, and even us humans. 

"RIZOMA" is intellectually stimulating and a heartfelt celebration of life’s interconnectedness. It’s the kind of performance that leaves you feeling more attuned to the world, more aware of how every living thing is part of an invisible yet essential web. It is truly inspiring and not to be missed!

Photo Credit:
Guy De Lancey