Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Theatre & Dance
Surprisingly for a city in which art has always been appreciated, Rome has no great theat-
rical tradition. It has never had a Broadway or West End, and while highbrow imports are
greeted enthusiastically, fringe theatre remains in the shadows. That said, theatres such as
Teatro Vascello, Teatro Palladium and Teatro India stage wide-ranging programmes offer-
ing everything from avant-garde dance to cutting-edge street theatre. Adding to the mix,
the annual Liberi Esperimenti Teatrali programme promotes workshops, laboratories and
experimental performances.
Although not strictly speaking a Roman, Dacia Maraini (b 1936) has produced her best
work while living in Rome. Considered one of Italy's most important feminist writers she
has more than 30 plays to her name, many of which continue to be translated and per-
formed around the world.
Dance is a major highlight of Rome's big autumn festival, Romaeuropa. But while popu-
lar, performances rarely showcase homegrown talent, which remains thin on the ground. In
fact, Rome's reputation in the world of dance rests more on its breakdancers than its corps
de ballet. The city's most celebrated crew is Urban Force which often represents the capital
in national and international competitions and regularly performs live.
Major ballet performances are staged at the Teatro dell'Opera, home to Rome's principal
ballet company, the Balletto del Teatro dell'Opera led by the Belgian choreographer and
director, Micha van Hoecke.
Artemisia Gentileschi (1593−1653) was one of the few women artists of the Renaissance. Stylistically, she
was heavily influenced by Caravaggio and many of her paintings depict strong, aggressive women, a fact
often attributed to the rape she suffered as a student.
