within Luoghi del Contemporaneo

Once Upon a Time is an interdisciplinary creation, in which there is a constant dialogue between dance, video, music, and lights. This dialogue brings together experiences of women of different generations on stage. It is an investigation through time and the translation through the body of memories, desires, experiences, images, movements and relationships.

The starting point is the figure of the Grandmother, a woman who in her past has been: child, girl, and mother. In the present, she is a Grandmother looking back at her past with nostalgia. This nostalgia is due to the awareness that she cannot live again that part of her life. Although, she still has a potential future, becoming real through her children’s and grandchildren’s lives, even when she will be gone. She seems to perfectly embody the time dimensions: past, present, and future.

The creative process involved sixteen Grandmothers of different socio-cultural backgrounds who have been involved in interviews and in workshops of DanceAbility. The research started from their memories about their past lives and reflection around a few key words: Love, Nostalgia, Memory, Family.

Francesca Foscarini. Independent choreographer and dancer, her personal career was marked by the encounter with quite important masters of the national and international dance scene such as Emio Greco/Accademia Mobile, Yasmeen Godder e Iris Erez, Carlotta Sagna, Nigel Charnock, Gitta Wigro, Robert Clark, Sharon Fridman, Elisabeth Lea, Rachel Prische.
She started her own professional experience with Aldes Roberto Castello (2000-2003). In 2009 she created her first choreography, Kalsh, finalist at the GD’A Veneto competition (Giovane danza d’autore – Regional prize for emerging choreographers). In 2012 she won the jury prize of the 17th edition of the Masdanza International Dance Festival – Canary Islands for her choreography Cantando sulle ossa (2011) as Best solo. In 2011, with Marco D’Agostin and Giorgia Nardin, she co-created Spic & Span, where the three artists perform together. This show was awarded with a Special mention at Premio Scenario 2011.
In 2013 she was the winner of the 2013 Equilibrio Award Rome for Performer: the jury, chaired by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, acknowledged her highly developed technique, great emotional sensibility, her strong stage presence and her ability in creating a unique and original embodiment referring to her performance in Grandmother, a pièce created in collaboration with Sara Wiktorowicz. Thanks to this award, she could choose an international choreographer to work with for creating a new solo: Francesca chose the Israeli Yasmeen Godder who creates with her Gut Gift.
In 2013 she created, together with the choreographers Marco D’Agostin and Giorgia Nardin, the cultural association Van. In 2014 as performer and choreographer she worked with Sara Wiktorowicz with whom created Once Upon a Time.

creation: Francesca Foscarini, Sara Wiktorowicz
performers: Francesca Foscarini, Frida Vannini
video: Dinanda Luttikhedde
woman on video: Arendina Griemelink
light design: Luca Serafini and Sara Wiktorowicz
Musica originale / original music Dennis Tilburg
sound design: Matteo Maffesanti
technical direction: Luca Serafini
co-production: Fondazione Fabbrica Europa, Giardino Chiuso/Orizzonti Verticali, Kilowatt Festival,
Fondazione Teatro Comunale di Vicenza, Dansmakers Amsterdam
in collaboration with Arteven, Van Associazione Culturale
with the support of Trasparenze
sponsored by Gordion Cultureel Advies