Paradiso!
Large-scale youth production with dance, theatre and music
Paradiso!
Large-scale youth production with dance, theatre and music
In the weekend of 5, 6 and 7 May 2023, in six sold-out performances, almost 1200 visitors were carried away to Dante’s Paradiso! Together with a large group of young amateur players, dancers and musicians from Arnhem, Introdans, Theater Oostpool, Phion and Musis & Stadstheater created a contemporary adaptation of one of the most famous books in world literature: Dante’s Paradiso.
The concept and overall direction of Paradiso! was done by Adriaan Luteijn (Introdans) and Char Li Chung (Theater Oostpool). The choreography is by Chantal de Vries (Introdans), musical leader is Joost Smeets (Phion) and Char Li Chung also signed for the direction of the theatre parts. Playwright Vera Morina made an adaptation of the text.
Premiere: May 5th, 2023
Playtime: until May 7th, 2023
All locations: Arnhem
About Paradiso!
700 years after the death of Dante Alighieri, his book The Divine Comedy is still being read. To this day, many readers and artists are inspired by his work. Introdans, Theater Oostpool, Phion and Musis & Stadstheater focused on the optimistic and wonderful last part: Paradiso. The Devine Comedy is a poem in three parts about a journey through hell (Inferno) and purgatory (Purgatorio) to paradise (Paradiso). Paradise is seen as a place where life is wonderful, where abundance reigns and there is no disease, disaster or death. An ideal place to stay. Sometimes this means the earthly paradise, the Garden of Eden, sometimes the heavenly paradise (heaven). In the performance Paradiso! spectators experience the interpretation of the players’ paradise.
Music Paradiso!
We put all the music used for Paradiso! in a playlist on Spotify for you to listen.
Special cast
The variegated cast of Paradiso! existed of 64 dancers, musicians, and actors between the age of 15 – 25, coming from all corners of Eastern Netherlands. Each one of them are talented youngsters with and without experience in all sorts of disciplines: from amateur theatre to interdisciplinary performance art, from hiphop to classical ballet. From saxophone to marimba and from baroque to modern music.
The show will was performed on May 5, (premiere), May 6 and May 7.
Scene images
