At the beginning of XX century, Nietzsche inspired one of the greatest American modern dancers: Doris Humphrey. In his book The birth of tragedy, published in 1872, the German philosopher introduces the reader to the opposite forces of Apollonian and Dionysian. The sense of play amid these extremities allows Humphrey to broaden her movement philosophy, creating the arc between two deaths, a scheme that is based on the swing of a body between the actions of fall and recovery and other antithetical principles. Within the scheme we find a place where the natural forces we are subject to meet the way we choose to deal with them.

Inspired, in my turn, by Humphrey’s work and Nietzsche’s philosophy, I carved behind Apollonian and Dionysian in order to rediscover my own spirit swinging in this dichotomy. At the mercy of composure and brightness of Apollonian movements in contrast to the total abandonment to gravity of Dionysian ones, in this solo I talk about how these instincts are an integral part of the human being. I have drawn inspiration from The birth of tragedy in order to compose movements and to create the monologue, present inside the music track and interpreted by the actor Odoardo Maggioni. 

The solo won the open call of the 8th Edition of Festival A due voci – Dialoghi di musica e filosofia (a festival dedicated to the dialogue between music and philosophy), and the 19th of November 2021 I had the opportunity to present and dance it at the Academy of Music and Dance Giuditta Pasta of Como (Italy). The Festival was promoted, for the first time, as part of the World Philosophy Day sponsored by UNESCO and realized with the support of the Council’s Culture Department of Como. 

I demoni di Nietzsche has been also included in DAP Festival 2022 VI EDITION, within the event Italian Factory scheduled on the 5th of July, that showcased the works of important Italian choreographers, like Adriano Bolognino, Roberta Ferrara and Angelo Egarese.