Lady with an Ermine
Renaissance spectacle inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci´s famous painting
Cracovia Danza – dance ensemble (Poland)
Romana Agnel – artistic director, choreography
Ars Cantus – music ensemble (Poland)
Tomasz Dobrzański – artistic director
Paweł Winsczyk – direction
Martine Pichon & Monika Polak-Luścińska – costumes
Monika Polak-Luścińska – set design
Monday 23 July 2007, 7.30 pm
ABC Theatre, Vodičkova 28, Praha 1
“When luck turns up, sieze it firmly by the outside, I tell you, and don’t look for what follows.’’
(Leonardo da Vinci)
The performance was inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s famous portrait of Cecilia Gallerani, the mistress of the Milanese Duke Ludovico Moro. This enactment of the well-known story of Cecilia and Ludovico took the audience on a historical excursion to the court of the influential Sforza family. This richest of leaders, respected conqueror, patron of the arts and builder, who summoned master Leonardo to his service, organised magnificent performances and incomparable balls for his beloved Cecilia.
The performance was an attempt at the reconstruction of fragments of the ballet performance ‘Il Paradiso’, whose fame spread throughout Europe at the time, and for which Leonardo da Vinci designed the costumes and décor. The reconstruction of the authentic choreography was the work of Barbara Sparti, without doubt one of the leading personalities and specialists on period dance. The costumes, designed by the French designers Martin Pichon and Monika Polak-Lúscínska, were inspired by period iconography.
