The Divine Comedy:
Paralleling Dante Alighieri's epic poem, this evening of dance journeys us through three landscapes of the spirit - Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise - and viscerally depicts the universal sorrows and joys of humanity. Inferno's intimate solos and duets portray the iconic deadly sins not just through their actions but more compellingly, through their intentions. Purgatory traces the cathartic transformation of one woman's state of anguish into a state of peace before the eyes of a mysterious chorus. Paradise brings the entire ensemble to the stage in celebration of life, community, harmony and love. The Divine Comedy showcases the dynamic physicality, chilling imagery, and poignant musicality signature to RDT. Their effects are both gruesome and glorious.
The work is adapted and performed in sacred spaces as well as theaters.
Lisa Iannacito and Jonathan Riedel in The Divine Comedy at Church of the Mediator. Photo by Jordan Wills, 2008.
The Program
Jonathan Riedel's
The Divine Comedy
Choreography: Jonathan Riedel
Costume Design: Roxane D'Orleans Juste
Music: I. Frederic Chopin
II. Sergei Prokofiev
III. Antonin Dvorak
I. Inferno (The Dark Wood) 2004
“Midway along the journey of our life
I woke to find myself in a dark wood,
For I had wandered from the straight path.”
--Dante Alighieri, Inferno
Prologue: The Pilgrim
Circle of the Crown and Root (Sloth and Wrath)
Circle of the Solar Plexus (Gluttony)
Circle of the Heart (Lust)
Circle of the Throat and Third Eye (Pride and Envy)
Circle of the Navel (Greed)
Epilogue: The Angel
Jonathan Riedel in Inferno at the West End Theater. Photo by Robert Polkosnik, 2004
II. Purgatory (The Mountain) 2008
“But now we had come to the mountain’s foot,
And there we found a rocky slope so steep
The nimblest legs would not have served you there.”
--Dante Alighieri, Purgatorio
Riedel Dance Theater in Purgatory at Church of the Mediator. Photo by Jordan Wills, 2008.
III. Paradise (The Sun and the Other Stars) 2008
“…but, like a wheel in perfect balance turning,
I felt my will and my desire impelled
By the Love that moves the sun and the other stars.”
--Dante Alighieri, Paradise
Sphere of the Root (Faith)
Interlude
Sphere of the Heart (Love)
Interlude
Sphere of the Crown (Hope)
Riedel Dance Theater in Paradise at the Cunningham Studio Theater. Photo by Ed Marshall, 2009.
The creation of The Divine Comedy was supported in part by the Francis Alexander Foundation and a space grant from the Harkness Dance Center.