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From the Rome Opera to Aterballetto
Mauro Bigonzetti took his first steps in the world of dance in Rome, graduating from the Teatro dell'Opera School. After his initial experiences as a dancer in the capital, in 1982 he moved to Reggio Emilia to join Aterballetto. In this stimulating environment, he signed his first choreography in 1990, Sei in movimento, set to music by Bach. From that moment on, creative activity became the core of his path, leading him to leave active dancing to dedicate himself entirely to choreographic composition.
International Acclaim. From the 1990s onwards, Bigonzetti's name began to appear on the bills of major theaters. His ability to dialogue with different languages led him to collaborate with the Balletto di Toscana and subsequently with international companies such as the New York City Ballet, for which he created significant works like Vespro and In Vento, becoming one of the few Italians regularly invited by the celebrated American institution.
The success of "Cantata" and "Mediterranea"
Two titles in particular have marked Bigonzetti's critical and popular fortune. Mediterranea (1993) is a celebration of the cultures of the Mare Nostrum, a vibrant choral work that has toured the world. But it is perhaps with Cantata (2001) that the choreographer reaches the perfect synthesis of his style: a carnal, almost wild dance, accompanied by the music of the popular tradition of Southern Italy (Assurd), capable of transmitting a visceral energy that has enchanted audiences on every continent.
Directing La Scala and the great stars
In 2016, Bigonzetti was called to direct the Teatro alla Scala Ballet. Despite the brevity of the appointment for health reasons, his mark remains strong thanks to productions that showcased the Milanese ensemble. His relationship with the great stars of dance is also fundamental, primarily Roberto Bolle, for whom he created pieces of great physical and sculptural impact performed in the Bolle and Friends galas.
A Universal Language. His stylistic signature does not deny the academic base but deforms and enhances it with contemporary gestures, often inspired by the visual arts, making the human body a sort of architecture in constant flux.
Homage to Caravaggio
One of his most ambitious creations is Caravaggio, originally created for the Staatsballett Berlin in 2008 on music by Claudio Monteverdi reworked by Bruno Moretti. In this work, Bigonzetti translates the chiaroscuro of the Lombard painter into dance, transforming contrasts of light and shadow into muscular tensions and pas de deux of extraordinary dramatic intensity, later successfully revived at Teatro alla Scala.
Recent activity and global collaborations
Today, Mauro Bigonzetti continues his career as a freelance choreographer, in demand by the world's most important companies. In recent years, he has strengthened his bond with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens and has continued to produce new works for the Rome Opera House and international festivals. His artistic research remains focused on the truth of movement, rejecting any aestheticism for its own sake to seek, through dance, a deep contact with the human soul.
This article is part of the section dedicated to masters of the stage, choreographers, and directors of musical theater.
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