Three instruments resonate in a beam of light : the mouth harp (Sicilian: marranzano), an acoustic metal drum (or handpan), and a traditional drum.
Distinct musical echoes intertwine, creating a harmonious sonority, a jam session. Instrument Jam (2017) is a performance crafted for grand stages—a rich musical composition played live by three outstanding musicians, accompanied by seven male dancers from Compagnia Zappalà Danza. This show vividly sketches a striking Sicilian land that is not singular but composed of countless layers—a boundless identity where tradition and modernity converge, where the cross meets the rainbow.
The instruments and dancing bodies become tools for dismantling clichés and stereotypes, seeking new perspectives in the unrestrained Mediterranean seascape. In parallel, they stand as symbols of shifting space and time: the mouth harp and drum, emblematic of Sicilian tradition, contrast with the handpan, a distinctly modern instrument from the turn of the century. The performance connects a specific interior to a unique choreographic language with a blend of mystery and raw intensity—the final note of the marranzano brings the choreography to a powerful climax, releasing a wave of vibrations across the audience.
This collaboration with EN-KNAP and with the support of the Italian Cultural Institute in Slovenia offers a chance to witness one of Italy’s most distinguished dance companies, Compagnia Zappalà Danza. Founder Roberto Zappalà is synonymous with contemporary dance in Italy: in his thirty-two years of activity, he has performed in major institutions worldwide and earned numerous prestigious awards. His base, Scenario Pubblico, is one of only two choreographic centers in Italy (and the sole one in central and southern Italy) recognized by the state as a center of significant national importance (CRID).
Direction and Choreography: Roberto Zappalà
Original Music (Live): Puccio Castrogiovanni
Dancers and Collaborators: Samuele Arisci. Filippo Domini, Roberto Provenzano, Antoine Roux-Briffaud, Fernando Roldan Ferrer, Salvatore Romania, Erik Zarcone
Musicians: Puccio Castrogiovanni (Jew’s Harp), Arnaldo Vacca (Drums), Salvo Farruggio (Hang)
Text: Nello Calabrò
Lights, Set, Costumes: Roberto Zappalà
Technical Direction: Sammy Torrisi
Sound Engineer: Gaetano Leonardi
Production: Scenario Pubblico/Compagnia Zappalà Danza – Centro di Rilevante Interesse Nazionale per la Danza
Compagnia Zappalà Danza is supported by MiC (Ministero della Cultura) and Regione Siciliana Assessorato del Turismo, Sport e Spettacolo. Instrument Jam was created for Italia, Culture, Mediterraneo, a series of events organized by MAECI (Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale), supported by Ministero dei Beni e delle Attività Culturali e del Turismo.
Guest performance in Ljubljana is supported by the Italian Cultural Institute in Slovenia.
Organisation: EN-KNAP and Kino Šiška.
