JESS GARDOLIN
choreographer, dancer and poet
ALI SALVIONI
composer, musician and performer
MARZIO PICCHETTI
light & set designer, producer and acrobatic object ©PiBa
AMBER SCHUMACHER
costumes
NICOLÒ BAGGIO
rigger
SCENE-CONCEPT.COM
rig system
ANDREA COSENTINO
sound technician
JACOPO BAGGIO
acrobatic object builder
ALBERTO GRANATA
stagehand
ALINA SMIT
photographer and outside eye
ANTONIO DI VIRGILIO†
sculpture
SAMUELE PONZIO
press office, communications and trailer
ILARIA PICCHETTI
production assistant
LUCIA GHIELMI & GIULIA MOLINARI
graphic designers
SARA BIANCHI
seamstress
MÔNICA AMBIEL & JULIANA CARMONA
physiotherapist
ELEMENTS is a performance in which dance, acrobatic movement, live music, lights and plastic art come together to celebrate the beauty and complexity of life. With a strong visual impact, the show offers an aesthetic and hypnotic journey that vibrates and connects with the emotions of the audience.
Structured in four interconnected acts (Met’amorfosi, Via Coflussa, Suspirar, Chama), it explores the life cycles inspired by the four elements: Earth, Water, Air and Fire. J. Gardolin’s poems give shape to the choreographies, musical compositions and light designs, evoking the phases of human life and exploring the deep connection between our psyche and the vital forces of nature. Each act is a rite of passage, a celebration of the changes and evolutions of one’s inner landscapes, enriched by elegant and authentic visual choices.
The creative process is the result of the continuous dialogue between Jess Gardolin and Marzio Picchetti, who, by combining their visions with Ali Salvioni, create a unique artistic experience. ELEMENTS is an Art Experience, an invitation to feel, it is poetry that manifests itself in different art forms.
The contemporary electronic music, composed by Ali Salvioni specifically for the show and played live, is born from the dialogue with the poetic texts that inspire the various acts and takes shape in harmony with the choreography. The sound research is specific to each act and converges in a multitude of natural, manipulated and synthetic timbres. The arrangements reflect the structure of the poems: the composition is conceived as a means to evoke and amplify the dreamlike atmospheres of the narration, transporting the spectator into the flow of the performance. The musician and the music thus become a fundamental part of the show, taking on an active role.
Light plays a fundamental and decisive role since it interacts, through its movement, with the performance: it delimits spaces and creates choreographies around the movement of the performer and the scenography. For each act, the lights are designed taking inspiration from the colors of the various elements: warm and cold tones for the earth element, cold tones and light glazes to accompany the water element, golden and cyan tones for the air element and warm contrasting lights from below for the fire element. Light also becomes movement: through live painting, it reveals the scenic elements, the movement of the performer and guides, like a fil rouge, the spectator to immerse themselves in the inner world, in the states of the psyche, in a journey of dialogue with oneself and change.
The scenography is sober and minimalist to evoke the evolutions of the various acts. Using essential scenic elements, such as the tulle that hides and reveals the musician to create a play of light, shadows and depth. A wooden sculpture and a burgundy acrobatic cloth represent emotional bonds and connections, such as roots and umbilical cords. The platforms and acrobatic ribbons offer new levels of perspective and movement, while specially invented tools, such as the ©PiBa, allow innovative interactions between performers and space. Finally, an illuminated mobile stage, which recalls Fire, underlines the dynamism and freedom of the performance, creating an environment in which dance and movement can express themselves freely.
The costumes were designed in harmony with the needs of the story and the poetic texts. At the same time, the constant dialogue with the choreography, the lights and the stage-acrobatic apparatus guides the choice of having different costumes to facilitate the spectator in immersing himself in the four acts in a natural and dreamlike way. The colors of the costumes, together with the lighting, evoke the various elements without being didactic. Aesthetics play a fundamental role in “Elements” and, consequently, the costumes explore design, bringing style and elegance, using textured fabrics, such as organza and silk, which create depth and layers that enhance the movement on stage.
ACT 1
MET’AMORFOSI is a tribute to the Earth and its power of transformation. It presents itself as a living work of art, taking shape around a sculpture by Antonio Di Virgilio†, a piece of wood from which a human form emerges. This act narrates the awakening of a soul that has remained asleep, locked up and imprisoned in the past, in an unconscious life, without ever having questioned its own way of existing. When it realizes that it has spent a lifetime stuck in its own skin, it begins the search for an escape route, on an inner journey towards the discovery of the true meaning of life. It explores its interiority, reveals the most complex parts of itself, freeing itself from the weight of the past and taking responsibility for its own destiny. This act explores the intimate and expressive field of dance-theatre, using a lighting design that takes on the role of guiding the transformation and a scenic fabric that becomes an extension of the artist’s body, acting as a root and umbilical cord to maintain the connection with the earth and at the same time indicate the path to freedom.
Portas cerradas. Sem chave, sem solução,
Espero e ataco, contra a parede a minha mão.
Me calo em um grito, potência sem voz, silêncio, histeria.
O homem em mim não se aquieta, vivencia.
Curvas me curvam, eu sou curva reta, ângulos acentuam o meu pensar.
Penso, observo, Sou.
E se eu fosse a calar?
Sou quem sou, sou anos luz, anos atrás, anos além.
Além da vida que é morte, que é um sopro de sorte.
Tronco que é célula respirante, é osmose
que é a meta de juntura a metamorfose.
Me morfo nessa luta da metade que é de mim,
Ei de ser, Sou.
E se eu fosse o estopim?
Sou meta, sou metade, quem diverte e quem devora.
Domina meu eu em mim, ei de morfar sem demora.
Em meu eixo côncavo, em mim mesmo ei de ser,
Sou eu meta-sonho, eu meta-ilusão,
met’anos vencidos, anos traídos, anos sofridos, eu redenção.
Me funde, me rendo meu eu não é só,
Sou a dois, sou mais um, em um mesmo nó
Amor ei de ser, Sou.
E se eu fosse o pó?
Met’amorfosi, J.Gardolin
…explores the inner conflict and the continuous search for identity. In a game of contrasts between strength and vulnerability, it questions its own being and its existence, pushing itself to reflect on the possibilities of change and transformation. The author explores the parts of the word metamorphosis by dividing it and always using the halves as a divided being, the halves of a being that questions all the versions of itself.
Each stanza is an exploration of the soul, between existential questions and the struggle between what it is, and what it could be. The repetition of “I am” and “And if I were…” suggests a deep reflection on the potential of the self and the infinite possibilities of becoming, highlighting the sense of uncertainty and the incessant search for meaning. The poem is a journey through time, identity and the desire to evolve.
ACT 2
Dedicated to the Element Water, VIA COFLUSSA tells the story of a river: from its source, through its growth, until it meets another watercourse, initially coming into conflict and then joining forces to find a new way to walk the path together. The choreography, in synergy with music, light and videos, follows the 5 steps of poetry: the drop, the growth, the storm, the calm and the kiss. The sinuous and wavy movements merge in space, embracing walls, floor and every element present, shaping and weaving the path in all dimensions. The movements are inspired by the changes in physical state of water, culminating in contrasts: fluid and detached, heavy and light. Ineluctable, malleable and formative, VIA COFLUSSA embodies poetry in motion.
Nas mais altas montanhas
Pura, cristalina
Escorre uma tímida gota.
Inocente gota criad’acaricia os longos cabelos da montanha.
Cresce repentinamente
Umidifica, cria, fortalece, transforma rumos, comporta a vida.
Escorrendo via abaixo se fortalece
Curva após curva,
Penhasco após penhasco,
Se joga, salta, se alarga, se alimenta.
Cresce, fortalece, cria, recria.
Cresce engrandece, abre caminhos.
Portas secretas
Seus passos fluidos transformam, passagens.
Passam caminhos, novos rumos a passar
Transforma, evapora, se modifica, chove.
Chove chuva
me alimenta enquanto passo.
Passo com tua força, abro portas e salto.
Levo comigo aquilo que hei de encontrar, aquilo que está no meu caminho
E se o caminho ainda não é meu, ei de passar com a força
dos deuses que beijam e saltitam em meu manto anil.
A montanha observa meu mover, assopra suas regras
desafiando minhas curvas,
Mas não me curvo, me volteio.
Água que sou, transformo e adapto
Há de nascer quem possa minh’alma indomável dominar.
Luto, suspiro, respingo
Respiro.
Braços cansados repousam.
O manto no leito a deitar.
Um ataque surpresa, um abraço repentino,
Um choque, um beijo, dedos a entrelaçar
Um novo modo de viajar,
Do beijo roubado dos braços mais fortes
Uma nova estrada
juntos a formar.
Via Coflussa, J.Gardolin
…explores the journey of water from its source in the high mountains, describing it as a living and dynamic entity. At the beginning, water is presented as a shy and pure drop that caresses the mountain, its birthplace. During the descent, water acquires strength and vitality, moistening the ground, creating new courses and nourishing the life around it. During its journey, water encounters difficulties such as curves and cliffs, but continues to advance with determination. With each curve and jump, it expands and strengthens, opening new paths and constantly reinventing itself. This process of adaptation and transformation is continuous and culminates in the transformation of water into a river. The rain, in turn, symbolizes the renewal and continuity of the cycle, and feeds the river with a destructive power. The mountain, a silent observer, tries to impose its rules and challenges, but water, indomitable and resilient, does not let itself be stopped. It adapts, transforms and continues its journey, defying every attempt at containment. The poem ends with a metaphor of union and transformation, a parallel between the human being and nature, where the river, meeting another watercourse, creates new paths and possibilities. This union symbolizes new beginnings, highlighting the strength of water and its ability to overcome adversity and shape one’s own destiny.
ACT 3
Inspired by the ethereal element of Air, SUSPIRAR is an invitation to being immersed in a parallel and dreamlike dimension: a hypnotic journey through breathing. An acrobatic object (©Piba) on stage is the central character of the story: the “Wind”. From its sound and its bewitching movements, a dialogue is established between bodies, a game of suspensions, twists and spirals. This dance transforms the spectator’s perception, moving from a horizontal to a vertical plane, exploring the possibilities of the body in different dimensions. ©PiBa evokes the Wind as a sensation of curiosity and authenticity, expressing a desire for freedom of being and feeling. Suspirar is born from the organic impulse of perceptions and letting go.
Aria ar
Respirar
Respiro Suspiro piro
Arejar
Ar entrar
Flutuo nel tuo duo
Flutuar
A pensar
Abra os braços vem planar
Com a força do vento
que move lento o movimento
Suspirar, J.Gardolin
is a wordplay that creates an evocative rhythm, leading to a feeling of lightness: a journey in which breath and air merge in a dance that embraces and lifts.
Air, breath, sighs that intertwine in the air. A flow of life, of movement that expands. Embraced by the wind, suspended between the sky and the earth, free as the air that slowly guides every movement.
CHAMA brings to the stage the intensity, the audacity and the energy of the fire that burns and spreads with agility, telling the story of a forbidden love between wind and fire. A voice evokes the memory of “Chama”, the woman with flaming hair, in her act of abandonment who, in order to live the passion, burns herself to ashes in search of rebirth. The use of an illuminated scenic element brings the spectator closer by immersing him in the performance, exploring movements of balance, oppositions and tensions. Aesthetics also contribute to developing the choreography and the optical illusions, provoking strangeness and, at the same time, enchantment, unleashing a visual hell and concluding the series of ELEMENTS cycles.
Daquele toque lembrarei do que era chama.
O ardor em Minh‘alma desmanchando em sabor
O calor da pele, um passado remoto, o chamado sagaz
Queima na memória seus anos de fervor
Camuflada labareda
O controle é em seu poder
Em suas mãos, o triunfo avassalador
O vento ressoa, ouve ao longe os seus cantos
Se aproxima a galope, aveludada voz
Borbulha o canto da mulher que chama
Encanta, acende, se alastra em querer
A voz incandescente, Indomável, é renascer
Incinera a luxúria, ora morada, é brasa.
Pureza em seu olhar, sabedoria em seu viver
Se distancia do mundo mundano e fecha seus olhos pra ser
Abrigo ao mundo humano, que ainda
está para nascer.
Chama, J.Gardolin
…talks about the memory and the power of a burning passion, symbolized by the encounter between the Wind and the Fire. The author uses evocative images to convey the intensity and memory of this overwhelming feeling. “Chama”, the woman with flaming hair, represents both desire and wisdom and personal transformation. A wordplay creates a personification of fire, with touches of sensuality and spirituality, suggesting a link between the past and rebirth. The use of the word “Chama” in Portuguese can mean both fire and call. The poetic language and wordplay reinforce the idea that fire is both destructive and purifying, symbolizing a cycle of life and rebirth.
The Brazilian artist began her career at the age of 5, becoming a national champion in figure skating. She studied at the Teatro Guaíra dance school and graduated from the Faculdade de Artes do Paraná. Since 2007, she has been active professionally with classical and contemporary dance, physical theater, musical theater, ballroom dance and acrobatic theater, collaborating with various companies and productions such as “Homem Vertente”, “Wicked”, “Saltimbancos Trapalhões”, Star World Casino Macao, Burlesque Paris 6, Companhia Rudá, Beto Carrero World and in numerous shows with the Compagnia Finzi Pasca. She also works at the same time for Opera Houses such as the Staatsoper Hamburg, the Grand Théâtre de Genève and Bühnen Bern. She has also taken part in international tours, performing in over 20 countries in the Americas, Europe and Asia. In 2021 she debuted as a choreographer; her works include the dance-theater play “Minotauro” for La Tâche21 with the Teatro Sociale Bellinzona, and the sung ballet “The 7 Deadly Sins”, in collaboration with the Aalborg Symfoniorkester in Denmark and the Orchestre National de Lille in France.
Since 2011, he has been active as Light Designer and Technical Director and later as Producer for several theater, dance companies, as well as for concerts, art exhibitions and international events. Collaborations, including international ones, are countless, including the “Fisici” and “Suddenly Last Summer” for Lugano Arte Cultura in 2025, “Minotauro” and other shows with the Teatro Sociale of Bellinzona, Compagnia Finzi Pasca, Staatsoper Hamburg, Teatro Danzabile, Google, San Carlo Napoli, Grand Theatre Génève, Montreal Avudo, the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, La Fête des Vignerons, SINPLUS, EvokeStudios OÜ (video content from Ed Sheeran’s last tour) and sensoinarte. ch. In 2025 he curates the production of the sung ballet “The 7 Deadly Sins,” in collaboration with the Aalborg Symfoniorkester in Denmark and the Orchestre National de Lille in France.
He obtained a Bachelor of Light Designer in London in 2014 and a Master of Art & Culture Management, at Rome Business School in 2020.
He has been teaching Light Design & Production at CPT in Lugano since 2018.
He is production director for Scène-Concept’s Flight Systems with which he participates in world-class ceremonies and events.
Musician and composer, trained in Afro-Cuban percussion in La Habana with Thomas “Panga” Otiz, Justo Pelladito, Emilio del Monte, Roberto Viscaino, J. L. “Changuito” Quintana; at Zurich Jazz School with Willy Kotoun and in African percussion with Markus Maggiori. A musician active on international stages, he has contributed to many musical ensembles of different styles, such as Swandive, Division Kent, Bligg, Knickerbocker, Bio Bonsaï. He is the founder of the Jade Sector project. He has performed as a percussionist with Claudia Kadlec’s Opera Viva and collaborated with multiple dance productions, including Hideto Heshiki/Serious Hobbys and Hermesdance. He also contributes to radio productions.
She specializes in scenography at the Academy of Fine Arts in Urbino. She has collaborated for many years as assistant to Giovanna Buzzi for international productions of prose, opera, circus and major events, including the opening of the Winter Paralympics in Sochi, the Fête de Vignerons in Vevey and the Cirque du Soleil in Montreal, numerous shows and works of the Compagnia Finzi Pasca. In parallel, she creates masks, elaborations and dyes working for theater and cinema.
A PRODUCTION BY
VIA COFLUSSA (UnKnown Company)
MP Light Designer & Producer
IN COLLABORATION WITH
Teatro Sociale Bellinzona – Bellinzona Teatro
WITH THE SUPPORT OF
Repubblica e Cantone Ticino – Fondo Swisslos
MP Light Designer Producer
La Mobiliare
TECHNICAL PARTNERS
Falegnameria alcastagno.ch
menziebz.ch
Andy Sound&Light
Mixing by Alan Bagge at 56db
THANKS TO
Teatro Paravento
Roberto Picchetti
Michele Tognetti
Comune delle Centovalli
Gianfranco Helbling
Margherita Saltamacchia
Hugo Gargiulo
Compagnia Finzi Pasca
Bashiba.com di Roberto Vitalini
Rolando Picchetti
VIA COFLUSSA © 2025