Creator and choreographer Luca Truffarelli is a renowned Dublin-based Italian dance filmmaker, photographer and videographer, who has been working with Irish dance companies for over 12 years.
His immersive new dance work The Weight, premiering this month, explores ideas of freedom and the individualism of human beings. Luca introduces The Weight below...
The Weight has emerged as a result of people that I've met, situations from everyday life that I’ve experienced or seen, facts and news captured over time, operating systems, artworks and sculptures that have touched me, or made me question, that have upset and shocked me... that I have then turned into movement, images, light and music.
The title of the piece refers to the weight of suffering in a general way, a weight which affects every human being, but also the weight that I feel personally in terms of my incapacity and fear of not being able to help, to resolve issues that make people struggle with their lives.
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Watch the promo for The Weight
I wanted to talk about my Mum’s illness. She has been suffering from a degenerative lung disease called COPD for over 10 years. The performance begins with the image of her, listening to her favourite italian singer, Rita Pavone. Of course and unfortunately she will never be able to attend in person, but for me she will be on stage, watching the show.
Alongside this I wanted to shine a light on workers’ rights, the weight of daily life and the condition of most of the immigrants in Italy, focusing on the ones that are crossing the Mediterranean sea, to be slaves in our fields harvesting our food in order to keep the price as low as possible for the market. But what is the cost of it?
After so many years working with dance and theatre makers, I wanted to explore my own creative path...
For music, I got in touch with UK composer Greg Haines as I knew he would be able to express what I was looking for. Cinematic, epic and romantic is what was in my mind since the beginning, and I also wanted a piece of music that could speak by itself separate from the other elements of dance and design.
Greg’s composition for The Weight was recorded by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra in September; it was a really exciting and emotional day when his brilliant score was brought to life by the 35 musicians of the RTÉ CO, led by conductor Gavin Maloney. I still can’t believe what happened during that session. It's been one of the best experiences of my life.
Some artists that inspired me along the way are the polish composer Henryk Górecki (in particular, the second movement of his Third Symphony), the French "painter of black" Pierre Soulages, and the Italian theatre director Pippo Delbono, for his intense ability to make emotions emerge through dramaturgy, lights, costumes, characters and music.
Last but not least, it was obvious that the inspiration for the choreography would be Oona Doherty, whose dance is so close to my way of feeling and expressing what I feel. When I asked her what she was feeling about this piece, she told me: 'I feel the weight in my body' - and it became the title.
After so many years working with dance and theatre makers, I wanted to explore my own creative path, and it is with great thanks to The Arts Council who gave me the opportunity to create such a substantial, ambitious and personal piece. The Weight has been fizzing in my head for a long time, so I really look forward to finally sharing it with an audience at the world premiere at The Complex this November.
The Weight is at The Complex, Dublin from the 8th-11th November - find out more here.
