It is these “infinite doors” that free Kor’sia from the restrictions and constraints of having to reduce the works of the classics to their only seemingly “correct” reading. “Mont Ventoux” is nothing less than a wonderfully enjoyable metaphor for the terrible, accelerated pace of life, a call to slow down, an invitation to include nature in our digitalized lives of pavement and concrete in the same way that we sometimes view it from our windows as a landscape flooded with sun and weather, which we rarely actually perceive despite its imposing power.
The Russo/Rosa tandem cleverly divides the theater space into two spaces with a gigantic glass window through which a mountain can be seen: one side is a flurry of speed and the dizziness of the city and the other is characterized by nature and contemplation. Similarly, the space also accommodates two forms of dance: on the one hand, the virtuoso and precise, on the other, the lyrical, emotional, slow. Here, for the first time, Mattia Russo and Antonio de Rosa articulate a sense of spectacle – of course still circling the idea of the maelstrom of our technological society without respite, without rest, without time for reflection.
At one point in “Mont Ventoux,” dancers in casual street clothes are seen pausing their wild and unbridled march through the space from time to time to take an interest in what is happening on the other side of the glass window. There is obviously a different rhythm over there. The slow-moving people inside also seem to be curious about the commotion outside. They look at each other strangely, they try to touch each other despite the glass that separates them, as if they both desire and reject what is happening on the other side. Kor’sia sets the world in motion at two speeds. As it does so, the ensemble’s view of “Mont Ventoux” appears to be very clear, precise, and relevant. Nothing seems superfluous, everything is coherent. The effective set, once again designed by Amber Vandenhoeck, and the omnipresent yet discreet sound space with its delicate baroque touches by Alejandro Da Rocha give this production an aesthetic that has truly earned the original Kor’sia seal of approval. For the time being, they have reached the pinnacle of their fame.