ŻfinMalta, the National Dance Company, has teamed up with Alexandra Alden and her band to bring to life its newest initiative Intimate Żfin, where music meets dance in a series of choreographic miniatures created by artistic director Paolo Mangiola for one of Malta's most elegant and historically resonant spaces - Palazzo Parisio.
ŻfinMalta was established in 2014 and has since been pivotal in connecting Malta's dance artists with their international peers, while providing a space to develop professionally. The company has introduced audiences to new ways of thinking about contemporary dance through productions that are bold and current and of a world-class standard.
Since joining the company Mangiola has embedded a spirit of collaboration engaging choreographers, set and costume designers, composers and visual artists, from Malta and internationally, and partnering with other organisations in other performing and visual arts. His vision is to foster a culture supporting contemporary dance in Malta, through relevant and intelligent dance works which inspire and move audiences; works which are multidisciplinary, challenging and unique.
"The idea to invite Alden to collaborate with us, bringing her beautiful music and lyrics to the world of contemporary dance, is to open up our work to diverse audiences in an unexpected setting." Intimate Żfin unfolds through what Mangiola describes as "a series of dance sketches, creating a dialogue between the choreography, music and lavish surroundings of the Palazzo Parisio ballroom".
"Working with Malta's national dance company in such a collaborative way is truly a privilege and one of the most exciting projects I have had the pleasure to work on to date," says Alden, "it is an opportunity to merge two different artistic disciplines in a meaningful way and to communicate something heartfelt and unique to our audiences. ŻfinMalta is renowned for innovative and boundary-challenging projects, so I'm curious to see how our perspectives will overlap and diverge".
Alden's band, hailing both from Malta and Rotterdam, will be focusing on the themes of belonging, home, and the butterfly effect; about how one small action can lead to a bigger outcome and how when one feels like they don't belong in any particular place, one has the freedom to belong everywhere or anywhere they wish. Alden compares her band's performance to a contemporary dance performance, as each performance is different.
Intimate Żfin is presented in collaboration with Palazzo Parisio and will be held on 26 March at 8pm and is suitable for an audience which is 5+. For bookings visit visitmalta.com
For ŻfinMalta's full season programme and more information on the national dance company, visit www.zfinmalta.org
Photo: Alexandra Pace