MEDIATHEK

ЗМЕЯ – The Riot Of Seduction is inspired by the life and work of the visionary Russian impresario Sergey Diaghilev. He and his ensemble Ballets Russes employed snakelike (snake – Russian ЗМЕЯ [zme:ja]) artifice, creativity and ambiguity to break into the public consciousness of the early 20th century and leave a lasting impression on the world of dance, music and performance art.
 Diaghilev’s talent for seduction allowed him to wield great influence on the European art scene and ushered in a new sensibility for hedonism and aesthetic pleasure. He brought great, cyclone-like energy to the development of new works which, sharpened and channeled through his manifold connections in the art world, drew from artistic talents in multiple fields including numerous well-known painters and composers.
 In ЗМЕЯ – The Riot Of Seduction, Luigi De Angelis, Solistenensemble Kaleidoskop and the actor Marco Cavalcoli create a “choreography of seduction”, a catalog of gestures based on the celebrated works of the Ballet Russes. Cavalcoli plays the role of Diaghilev, who manipulates and seduces like a pied piper. The music is based on iconic works commissioned by the Ballet Russes, the central piece is a 70-minute version of Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faun. This work acts as a continuum from which the other pieces emerge, in which they are submerged, join together and reel off.