Lorenzo Cimarelli
Overactive, chaotic and noisy. In his early years, Lorenzo Cimarelli is a typical Italian child.
Moreover, out of curiosity, he asks questions throughout the day. "'Mamma, why is the sky blue?', and to her answer I would always respond with: 'Yes, but why?'" When she met a dance teacher at the elementary school where she works, his mother says she really doesn't know what to do with her three-year-old son anymore. The teacher, Claudia Rota, suggests that Lorenzo should take a lesson at her dance school. "My mother wasn't convinced, but agreed. When I cried at the end of the lesson, she thought: you see, that's not for him. But I cried because the lesson was over. It could have lasted forever from me."
Video by Iris Hendriks
Not a dance country
Dance became a means for Lorenzo to express himself, without having to talk. "Now I can walk down the street like a normal person, but at that time I couldn't: I was always dancing." Although Rota's school, Il Laboratorio, is an amateur school, the approach is ambitious and in no time Lorenzo is regularly on stage.
Halfway through his high school years, he continues his lessons in Reggio Emilia and later in Faenza. He then performs for a year with eVolution Dance Theater in Rome, which combines dance, acrobatics and illusion. "All along, however, I knew I wanted to go abroad. Italy is not a dance country. If you tell people in Italy that you dance, they say, 'Okay, but what is your profession?'"
It's hard work, but hey: a dance career is short.
Without audition
With five words of English and zero knowledge of German, he ends up at the Stadttheater in Bremerhaven. He worked there with many choreographers, including Ed Wubbe, learned a lot, but after a few years had had enough of Bremerhaven. Jokingly, "You have ten houses there, a supermarket and a theater, and the weather is always bad." Orienting himself on other companies, he joins a few classes at Scapino and, to his great joy, Ed Wubbe offers him a contract, without any further audition.
Curriculum Vitae
Born
1995, Bologna, Italy
Education
- Progetto Danza, Reggio Emilia, Italy
- Dance Studio, Faenza, Italy
- Il Laboratorio, Bologna, Italy
Previously danced at
- eVolution Dance Theater, Rome
- Stadttheater Bremerhaven
At Scapino since
2018
Performed in
All hands on deck, Cathedral, The Great Bean, What Remains, Casablanca, The Square 2
Morau-tools
"Rotterdam is fantastic and Scapino and Ed are 'amazing'", he says about the past years. "It's hard work, but hey: a dance career is only short, so being continuously pushed is better than hanging out on the couch all day." He enjoys working with renowned choreographers: "Through Marcos Moraus Cathedral, for example, I grew tremendously; in everything I do since then I carry the 'Morau tools' in my body." But he also greatly appreciates the fact that Scapino offers opportunities to young makers. For Made in Rotterdam, he himself is creating Almost Blind in 2019 and Lin]e in 2021, and in the future he hopes to make his own creations more often.
The corona pandemic has taught me not to be afraid of change and to live more ín the moment.
Cleaning
Lin]e also leads to a new hobby, maybe even profession: "I couldn't find suitable music, so I decided to create my own (electronic) composition with the help of online tutorials. A huge hassle, but it gave me a lot of freedom. I now regularly create music for choreographer friends." Other passions include cooking and cleaning. "I am the opposite of my three-year older brother. Where he is wild and messy, I am very precise. Not on the obsessive side, but I love a clean and tidy house."
Photography: Khalid Amakran | Interview: Astrid van Leeuwen
This season featuring in
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Cathedral
A wondrous journey into tomorrow's world and a search for what makes us human. A revival of the successful production by choreographer Marcos Morau.
Danced in a.o.
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Oscar
A tribute to Oscar Carré with dance, theatre, circus and live music by Blaudzun. With Oscar, artistic director Ed Wubbe bids farewell to Scapino after 30 years. -
Origin 2024
For Origin, Ed Wubbe brings two extraordinary, international choreographers to The Netherlands: Xingxing Gong and Lior Tavori. -
Song of the dark forest
A moving, compelling and comforting performance, performed by the complete group of dancers of Scapino, an opera singer and live music by the DoelenEnsemble. -
Two Tales
Young emerging dance makers tell poignant stories with solid roots in the lore and customs of their native land. -
Casablanca
Casablanca is a visual performance about passion, freedom and desire for a better world. -
Oscar
Carré en Scapino Ballet presenteren: Oscar, een hommage aan Oscar Carré met dans, theater, circus én live muziek van Blaudzun. Exclusief te zien in Carré. -
The Square2
Four young makers meet eachother in The Square2, a new full-length production of Scapino Ballet Rotterdam. -
Intertwine
A surprising encounter between the dance of Justin de Jager and the art of Alexander Calder. Stream Intertwine on Scapino's streaming platform. -
Duplicate of Casablanca
Casablanca is a visual performance about passion, freedom and desire for a better world. -
Made in Rotterdam
Scapino Ballet Rotterdam presents four new works, performed and created by Scapino dancers. -
Rite Here Rite Now
A unique collaboration of the New Rotterdam Jazz Orchestra, LantarenVenster and Scapino Ballet Rotterdam. -
The Square Recordings
Young makers go on an adventure in this online edition of The Square. -
The Great Bean
Circus, illusionism, variety and dance: The Great Bean takes place in the atmosphere of the roaring twenties, the emergence of jazz, Hollywood and vaudeville. -
The Blend
Scapino starts the new season at the Van Nelle Fabriek, Rotterdam icon and world heritage monument. -
Pearl
World class dance, stunning costumes and mesmerising music by composers like Vivaldi. -
Cathedral 2019/2020
Accompanied by the spiritual music of Arvo Pärt, pure as a heartbeat, Cathedral asks us to reflect on the nature of existence. -
Made in Rotterdam
Scapino Ballet Rotterdam presents four new works, performed and created by Scapino dancers. -
All Hands on Deck
Scapino and Släpstick (formerly know as Wëreldbänd) bring out the best in each other with superb combinations of dance, physical comedy, slapstick, music and theatre. -
TWOOLS 18
TWOOLS 18 appears to be the last in the series. It is a worthy finale with world premieres by choreographers Ryan Djojokarso, Joeri Dubbe and Maciej Kuzminski. -
TING!
Dance, music and circus come together on and above a rotating arena to create an enchanting spectacle.