WINNDance and BOSS Celebrate Successful World Premiere At La Biennale di Venezia

Founded and directed by former principal dancers Marijn Rademaker and  Slava Tutukin,the company brings together an ensemble of some of the world’s most celebrated  ballet dancers, all over the age of forty, challenging the industry’s perception of age and creating a  new space for continued artistic expression. 

WINNDance demonstrated the artistic power that emerges when decades of experience, individuality and craftsmanship meet. Based in Stuttgart and moving internationally, the company  places these values and artistic maturity at the centre of contemporary creation. 

Seeing so many luminaries of international ballet together on one stage was a defining moment of  the evening. The evening concluded with standing ovations, reflecting the audience’s enthusiastic  response to WINNDance’s inaugural production. Rather than looking back on distinguished careers,  the company placed its artists firmly within a contemporary artistic context, revealing the depth,  presence and interpretative power they continue to bring to the stage. 

For founders Marijn Rademaker and Slava Tutukin, the Venice premiere was the first opportunity to  experience the complete artistic vision in front of an audience. “Seeing this production come to life  exactly as we imagined — and even beyond our expectations — has been incredibly moving. What  began as an idea has become an ongoing dialogue between the artists' extraordinary lived  experiences and artistic innovation. This is only the beginning of WINNDance.” — Marijn Rademaker  and Slava Tutukin, Directors and Co-Founders of WINNDance  

Across the evening, distinct choreographic languages unfolded within a multidisciplinary production  shaped by literature, film, original music, lighting and costume, creating an atmospheric journey  through beauty, obsession, longing, identity, memory and transformation. 

Inspired by Thomas Mann’s novella, Death in Venice united the choreographic voices of Imre & Marne  van Opstal, Omar Román De Jesús and Rainer Behr, connected through films by Javier De Frutos and  an overarching concept by Ira Goldbecher, Marijn Rademaker, and Slava Tutukin. The evening  concluded with the world premiere of John Neumeier’s Bridge of Sighs, inspired by Venice’s historic  bridge, the many dimensions of love and the dark mystery of Dmitri Shostakovich’s music.  

The evening’s visual identity was further defined by its collaboration with BOSS, whose costumes  became an essential part of the production’s storytelling. “Collaborating with BOSS has added a  powerful dimension to this journey, visually amplifying the story we want to tell on stage.” — Marijn  Rademaker and Slava Tutukin, Directors and Co-Founders of WINNDance  

For this production, BOSS introduces tailoring to the stage in a new way. Rather than adapting dance  to fashion, BOSS reimagines fashion through movement. Drawing from archival silhouettes,  contemporary performance fabrics, and craftsmanship expertise, the garments become part of the  choreography and storytelling, moving in dialogue with the dancers rather than simply dressing  them. Developed in close dialogue with the company, patterns and fabrics were adapted to  accommodate the range of movement required, allowing the garments to shape the visual identity of  the production. 

Inspired by the vision and passion behind the project, Marco Falcioni, Creative Director of HUGO  BOSS, sees the collaboration as a reflection of a philosophy shared by the fashion brand. 

“Maturity is a value. It is not a limit anymore. The collaboration also reflects BOSS’s “Be Your Own  BOSS” philosophy, celebrating individuality, purpose and creative independence” — Marco Falcioni,  Creative Director of HUGO BOSS 

Following its successful debut at La Biennale di Venezia, the company now embarks on its first  international tour, with performances across Germany, the Netherlands, Monaco, Japan and beyond.  As Scirocco: Death in Venice – Bridge of Sighs reaches new audiences, WINNDance continues to  champion a vision of dance in which artistic excellence evolves with experience, opening new  perspectives on longevity, beauty and the enduring language of movement.  

Performances of Scirocco: Death in Venice – Bridge of Sighs, a World Premiere at La Biennale di Venezia ran from 31 July & 1 August at Teatro Malibran, Venice, Italy.

Ricevi le notizie di Broadway su WhatsApp

Ricevi gli ultimi aggiornamenti, notizie e contenuti esclusivi direttamente nell’app.

Need more Italy Theatre News in your life?
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...

Italy News

Get the latest news, discounts & more