XZ GENERATION -Adi Schwarz, Foss Dance, Gina Keller, Justin Padilla, Mya Tzyganova, Nuovo Balletto Di Calabria, Samwel Japhet, Universal Center

Mia

• Dancer Mia Tzyganova
• Choreographer TBD

10 Years of Becoming: From Streets to Now

A Dance Solo Performance by Tanzanian Artist Samwel Japhet

presented at the DAP Festival in collaboration with LA MAMA UMBRIA and Georgetown University

This performance reflects on the 10 years since I left the streets, where I lived as a street child in different parts of Tanzania for over 10 years. It is a tribute to my evolution from homelessness and abuse to finding belonging and purpose through dance.

In this piece, I revisit the layers of my past, the complexities of emotions, memories, and growth that have shaped who I am today. Through movement and storytelling, I invite the audience to witness a journey of overcoming adversity, finding a sense of belonging, and reclaiming one’s story.

This performance is not only a reflection of my journey but also a testament to the experiences and lives of those who have grown up in challenging environments confronted societal norms, found new homes, and continued to “get on with life.”

L’ÂME

• a contemporary dance performance by the dancers of the Junior Company – Youth Ensemble of Balletto di Calabria
• Choreographer: Valentina Militano
• Performers: Francesca Scalercio, Iris Rocco, Marialuigia Cristo
• Artistic Coordination: Anna Pignataro

“It is time to get drunk! So as not to be the tortured slaves of Time, get drunk endlessly—on wine, poetry, and virtue, as you wish.” These words by Baudelaire inspire L’Âme, a performance that unfolds through the delicate interplay of three figures, each immersed in their reality.

Some surrender to the intoxicating force of desire, and others lose themselves in the game of love. It is a space where bodies and minds transform—a dance of metamorphosis, where passion and movement dissolve time constraints.

Who is going to join?

• Foss Dance (Lithuania)
• Choreography Miglė Praniauskaitė
• Dancers: Paulina Garbauskaite, Viktorija Praninskaite, Reja Aine Truskauskaite, Rusne Jonutyte, Pijus Gulbinas, Gedvinas Meskauskas, Ignas Smitas.
• Music: AGF – Skingame, Machine Women – Friday Night

The dance composition “Who is Going to Join?” explores the concept of skin in the game—personal responsibility, risk, and engagement. Through movement, the choreographic work examines how individual choices and actions create a chain of accountability, where success and mistakes come with their rewards and costs. This performance reveals that only those who take risks and fully invest themselves can truly participate in the “game” of life. It is a narrative about balancing actions and consequences, effort and earned rewards, errors and their price. In the piece, every participant has their “skin” in the game, but only one can emerge as the winner, while losses and risks are shared collectively. “Who is Going to Join?” invites the audience to reflect on their accountability and to ask themselves—do they have their “skin in this game”? Choreography: Migle Praniauskaite Dance: Paulina Garbauskaite, Viktorija Praninskaite, Reja Aine Truskauskaite, Rusne Jonutyte, Pijus Gulbinas, Gedvinas Meskauskas, Ignas Smitas. Music: AGF – Skingame; Machine Women – Friday Night.

CELLO

from the ballet “…und mit dem Wind“

• Choreography by Heinz Spoerli, 
• Music Bach Cello Suite
• Directed by Galina Grigoryan-Mihaylova (member of the Zurich Ballet company 1999-2019, Principal promoted 2010)
• Dancer Gina Keller
• Special thanks to Mr. Heinz Spoerli

As Gina is a young Swiss dancer, she wanted to perform and honor a famous Swiss Choreographer in her current neoclassical work. She got permission from Mr. Heinz Spoerli to dance the opening variation “CELLO” from his ballet „…UND MIED DEN WIND“ choreographed in 1999 in Zurich for the Zurich ballet – his company at the time.

RAW

• Choreography by Denise Lampart
• Music: “D’amor sull’ali rosee” – Maria Callas, by Giuseppe Verdi
• Directed by Denise Lampart (ZHdK Lecturer, Rehersal Assistent, Choreographer and Production Manager)
• Dancer Gina Keller

For her current contemporary work Gina choose the aria „d’amor sull’ali rosee“ from Verdis opera „il Trovatore“ sung by Maria Callas. So she and her teacher and choreographer Denise Lampart dived into the demanding work to meet and acknowledge this unique brilliant voice. It felt like an uncut diamond trying out the movements and emotions of the sparkling perfect voice. That’s why they called the piece „RAW“. The result is a touching, sensual contemporary interpretation that recently won a bronze medal at the international dance festival Tanzolymp in Berlin in February 2025.

MARGHERITA: When Words Fall Short, Movement Speaks

• Choreography: Imma del Duca
• Production: Universal Center
• dancers: Giulia Abramo Lafrano, Giada Califano, Martina Calitri, Hilary Carnevale, Ginevra Cicatiello, Valentina Cicatiello, Miriam Ciotola, Martina Calitri, Federica Cuomo, Sofia De Francesco, Martina Ferrara, Gaia Gennarelli, Angelo Grazioso, Sabrina Iorio, Simona Luongo, Lucrezia Maiorano, Kesja Maoloni, Martina Marra, Michela Marra, Alessandra Perrotta, Lucia Petriccione, Crystal Pistone, Chiara Raggi, Emanuela Romeo, Rebecca Rusciano, Francesca Sbarra, Lorenzo Sica, Beatrice Sivio, Davide Trinchillo.

Pain is an inevitable part of life—just as much as joy. The end of a relationship, a health crisis, the loss of a loved one—these moments shape us, leaving wounds that words often fail to express. When someone we care about is struggling, offering comfort isn’t always easy. Finding the right words, and the right way to be present can feel impossible.

MARGHERITA was born from this very struggle—a choreographer’s need to express pain beyond language. It is a journey through communication, storytelling, acceptance, and ultimately, rebirth through movement.