As a dancer, I have always believed that a ballet must be able to support itself, without the need for any introductory text.

If you think as I do then, simply close the program, relax in your chair and just enjoy these next few moments as you would scenery rushing by you. My ballet is a sensory experience.

However, as a choreographer, I feel compelled to share with others who are curious like me, how this ballet was idealized. The central ideas for the construction of this ballet began during my third year of studying philosophy at the University of São Paulo.

In the year in question I took two subjects which dealt with the philosophy of Aristotle. One course, which was in fact about “The Being and the Essence of Tomás de Aquino” (O Ente e a Essência de Tomás de Aquino), and another about the metaphysics of Aristotle himself.

Throughout the course, when I became familiarized with the work of Aristotle I realized how much my way of developing my own improvisation and composition work in dance relates, in some way, with certain aspects of Aristotelian philosophy.

(For those who are interested in philosophy, there are, especially, two concepts, the first, which prescribes much of the Aristotelian logic, formulated on the famous principle of non contradiction: one thing cannot be and not be at the same time. And the second, on the notions of substance and categories.)

What I have selected to work with in dance from the philosophy of Aristotle is, in first place, the question of Dichotomy which appears as a consequence of a principle used principally in logic: One thing cannot be and not be at the same time. In a closer manner to my universe: I cannot dance around the room and stand in one same place at the same time. Or can I? In second place, the notion that that which is simple precedes that which is compost.

In my trajectory as a choreographer, in the way in which I work, I utilize the concept of dichotomy to find new possibilities. In other words, many times I Will first work intuitively, afterwards I Will analyze the material created and from it, applying a concept of dichotomy, I will find something different: It’s “opposite” pair. And in this manner I experiment\experience that almost everything that I manifest in terms of movement, makes one (or more than one) opposite, possible. At least, some kind of imaginable opposite... Just want it.

In this manner, starting from a series of dichotomies which I have numbered: vertical and horizontal, near and far, quick and slow, center and perimeter, curved and straight, front and back, right and left, above and below, single and multiple, solo and group, singular and plural, simple and complex, etc., we build a ballet.

The building in question is because I would like to register, here, for the Record, my thanks and admiration for the cast of the City Ballet, which welcomed the proposal with enthusiasm and desire. They are creators, together with me, of this work.

I would also like to thank the team working on the production; my partners are co-responsible for everything seen today. Some of the have worked on this idea since January.

And finally to the diction of the Ballet, which made it possible for me to be the prodigal son and come home, even if it is only for a while.
Lastly, I would like to dedicate this ballet to Francisco, my son.

Oh, and for you, who are curious and wanted to read all this, I hope that the next few moments will be more than a sensory experience.

Luiz Fernando Bongiovanni

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