Save The Last Dance For Me at Sydney Festival
“Save the Last Dance For Me” (or maybe the professionals) at Sydney Festival for the next two weeks. It’s a workshop that explores the Italian dance tradition of Polka Chinata.
“Save the Last Dance For Me” includes a 20-minute performance and a 2-hour workshop in Polka Chinata, a dance that originated in Bologna in the early 1900’s. It faded out of fashion during WWII; however, “Save The Last Dance For Me” organiser Alessandro Sciarroni and his long-time collaborators Gianmaria Borzillo and Giovanfrancesco Giannini hope to bring it back to life.
Polka Chinata was traditionally reserved for males. It was a courtship dance aimed at attracting women, who could not dance with them unless married. The dance is spectacular, passionate, and physically demanding. Despite these customs, anyone can practice Polka Chinata at Sydney Festival!
“Save The Last Dance For Me” has toured the globe with over 200 performances worldwide. It’s focused on creating a communal space and generating historical memories of traditions. It is open to anyone of all skill levels. You are welcome to come on your own or with a dance partner of your choosing. The only advice is to be prepared to spin (a lot)!
You can join multiple free workshops over the next couple of weeks of the Sydney festival. There are two at Palm Grove in Darling Harbour on Wednesday, January 14th, and Thursday, January 15th. On Monday, January 19th, you can head to Sydney Town Hall. Then later in the week, on Friday the 23rd of January, you can head to Leichardt Town Hall. Register on the Sydney Festival Website.
Monday Daily Host, Eva Greifeneder, spoke to “Save the Last Dance For Me” dancers Gianmaria Borzillo and Giovanfrancesco Giannini about what to expect from the upcoming workshops.