THE KISS
The Kiss is a dance film highlighting elements from Dante’s Canto V. Using camera and dance, the dance film brings to life a contemporary rendition of the personification of love as conveyed through Francesca and Paolo’s tragic love story. Francesca and Paolo’s kiss has inspired many artists in various art forms, from Rodin’s sculpture to Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres’ paintings and other works of art. The complex course of the kiss is explored in this filmed dance performance choreographed by Diane Portelli and performed by Moveo Dance Company, in an abstract form, unearthing the journey through the second circle of hell, from sacred innocent love to its adulterous ending. Set on the cusp of sacred and profane, Dante’s literary masterpiece is brought further to life by Albert Garzia’s soundscape, which depicts elements such as the storm and shrieks, and videographer and editor Kevin Kiomall, using different light and camera effects.
Artistic Collaborators
Diane Portelli
Dorian Mallia
Albert Garzia
Kevin Kiomall
Moveo Dance Company Dancers
9 November 2021
Online
8:30pm
Free
In Collaboration with
DIANE PORTELLI
Diane started her training at the age of three at Tanya Bayona Princess Poutiatine Academy of Ballet where for many years she trained classical ballet, modern, contemporary and flamenco. Following this, she furthered her training at The Dance Workshop, where she is currently a part time teacher and Choreographer. She was awarded the Luisello award for Spanish Dance and the Duke of Ellington award for Modern Dance. She then furthered her training at the accademia di Pavia for a year. Diane has attended various courses both locally and abroad, last international workshops were with renowned dance companies; Random Dance Company, Ultima Vez and Hofesh Shechter Company amongst others. She participated in the World Championships for Performing Arts in Hollywood, together with two other dancers, where they won two gold medals under the direction of Janet Vella. She has performed in various international festivals including Portugal, Hong Kong, Tunisia, Washington and Brussels. She is one of the choreographers in the creation of Kirana that has been touring internationally for the past 2 years. Diane obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce at University of Malta as well as her DDE qualifications in modern theatre. In 2013 she started working with Moveo Dance Company as a dancer, choreographer and now director, and has performed in numerous productions with the company, both in Malta as well as overseas. In 2017 she held the lead role for Moveo’s contemporary rendition of Carmen. In 2018, together with Dorian Mallia, she was awarded the “Artist of the Year” award in the first ever Premju Ghal-Arti Awards in Malta and this year her work 'Diversely Typical' was awarded the Best Steam Project award(people's choice award) at Esplora's Stem Awards.
ALBERT GARZIA
Albert Garzia is a Maltese composer, musician and music teacher. He started his musical training as an accordionist under Dorselle Mifsud with whom he also studied piano. Even though he graduated in Industrial Electronics, his fascination for the diverse facets of music led him to experiment in many of its fields. Garzia started his composition studies with Raymond Schiberras. He completed his BA (Hons) in Music Studies, read concurrently with a Diploma in Sacred Music at the University of Malta. He completed his master's degree in music at the School of Composition and Contemporary Music at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. Garzia's music ranges from orchestral to chamber combinations and has been performed in a variety of settings. Some of his piano music has also been published. Garzia’s objective is principally effective musical communication which he strives to achieve by fusing folk elements into a contemporary music language.
KEVIN KIOMALL
Kevin Kiomall is a professional filmmaker with over 14 years of experience in film and broadcast projects. He has a passion for storytelling and creating new innovative ideas. Kiomall has a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and also studied animation techniques, along with a plethora of related subjects, from computer engineering to digital electronics. The freelance filmmaker has worked on a variety of diverse projects with varied partners from the University of Malta, to Teatru Manuel, Valletta 2018, RAI, Science and the City, CHOGM 2015 and Hugo Boss Malta, to name a few. He prides himself in a wide assortment of skills that include using professional cinema equipment from various established companies, operating photography drones and electronic stabilisers, professional editing and visual direction.
MOVEO DANCE COMPANY
Moveo Dance Company was founded by its artistic director Dorian Mallia in 2008 and has been producing contemporary work both locally and internationally since. In 2011, Diane Portelli joined as a performer and in 2017 became company director and resident choreographer. The company has produced various original productions including: The Picture of Dorian Gray, Carmen, The Other Door – What’s Wrong, which have been presented in various local and international theatres. The company boasts a string of awards including the prestigious award Premju Għall-Arti as Artists of the Year, the Best Creative Enterprise Award and Best Steam Project at Esplora’s Stem Awards. Moveo’s ethos evolves around searching for the new and that which can capture an ambiguous notion in performance. The constant study of the body in motion is also essential to their work. The body in performance is most intriguing, as within it lies a whole spectrum of possibilities that include identity, cultural and social behaviours.
