Review: Carnaval Vivaldi – Balletto di Roma’s beautiful but flimsy carnival

Balletto di Roma recently unveiled Carnaval Vivaldi, an original ballet choreographed by Chiara Ameglio, marking its world premiere in Italy. The production opened with an enigmatic shadow play, where dancers performed behind a translucent backdrop, their masked silhouettes flickering under torchlight. This theatrical introduction set an evocative tone, bringing carnival imagery to the forefront through symbolic masks and shifting figures.

Despite its compelling visual elements, Carnaval Vivaldi struggled with pacing and choreographic depth throughout its approximately hour-long duration. Early sequences showcased a measured, almost hesitant movement style, lacking dynamic rhythm or complexity. Choreographically, the work leaned on familiar gestures—walking, strutting, grouping—that, while executed with evident skill by the company, did not fully harness the dancers’ technical capabilities.

The performance’s conceptual framework aimed at exploring themes of transience, communal identity, and ritual purification. According to the production’s notes, the narrative centered on masked figures pursuing the enigmatic King of Carnival, whose symbolic sacrifice was intended to cleanse the community. However, the portrayal of this allegory remained abstract and underdeveloped onstage, with the pivotal moment of mask removal occurring late in the performance and primarily involving male dancers, while female performers received minimal focus.

In the final act, the dancers discarded their elaborate costumes down to flesh-toned undergarments, revealing the company’s athleticism through more vigorous, physically demanding sequences. Among these were traditional ballet elements such as Italian fouettés, which provided a glimpse of technical prowess otherwise subdued in earlier sections. Yet, the overall choreographic vocabulary remained modest, relying on conventional devices like descending silver confetti and interactive gestures toward the audience.

One inventive element was the incorporation of bang snaps—small explosive novelties used to animate a character’s movements—adding a playful, if somewhat gimmicky, layer to the storytelling. This device underscored the tension between ritualistic solemnity and carnival frivolity embedded in the ballet’s thematic structure.

Musically, the production featured a soundscape crafted by Luca Salvadori that blended mysticism with classical baroque. The score incorporated reimagined segments of La Follia alongside recordings by countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński, all interwoven with selections from Vivaldi’s oeuvre. This auditory collage complemented the visual tableau and reinforced the production’s title, though it occasionally felt fragmented amid the choreography’s uneven flow.

Lighting design by Emanuele De Maria significantly enhanced the atmosphere, skillfully manipulating shadows and illumination to frame the dancers’ movements and emphasize the carnival motif. Elena Rossi’s costume design contributed to the aesthetic by reinterpreting traditional carnival and commedia dell’arte attire through stylized white garments adorned with ruffs, corsets, and conical hats. Alessandra Faienza’s masks added vibrant color, visually punctuating the otherwise monochrome palette.

Chiara Ameglio, recognized as an emerging figure in Italian dance, demonstrated artistic ambition with Carnaval Vivaldi, though the execution revealed areas needing refinement. While the production’s intentions to probe existential themes and communal ritual were clear, the choreography often failed to translate these complex ideas into compelling physical storytelling. The company’s talent was apparent but underutilized, particularly among the female dancers, whose roles were notably limited.

Overall, Carnaval Vivaldi presented a visually rich but narratively tentative exploration of carnival symbolism through dance. Its premiere highlighted the challenges of balancing conceptual ambition with choreographic clarity. As Ameglio continues to develop her voice within the contemporary Italian dance scene, this work may serve as a stepping stone toward more cohesive and impactful creations.