Fairy tale for dance based on a text by Ermanno Romanelli

Choreography and Direction: Claudio Ronda
Assistant Choreographer: Federica Iacuzzi
Original Music: Paolo Zambelli
VJ: Andrea Zanforlin
Cino: Luca Scanavacca
Company: Fabula Saltica
Vocals and Choirs: Ostetrika Gamberini, Foxy Ladies
Children’s Choir: Jennifer Patrese, Marco Puxeddu, Alice Scanavacca, Pietro Toffanello, Anna Zambelli
Costumes and Accessories: Giulia Zuolo
Video Recording and Editing: Carpe Diem

Production: Ballet Association “City of Rovigo,” with the support of MiBACT, Veneto Region ArcoDanza, in collaboration with Teatro Sociale di Rovigo. The show is supported by the “Attivamente” project of the Cassa di Risparmio di Padova and Rovigo Foundation.

The musical fairy tale *The Animals’ Court* is produced by the Ballet Association “City of Rovigo” – Fabula Saltica Company, with choreography and direction by Claudio Ronda, music by Paolo Zambelli, and text by Ermanno Romanelli. The initiative is primarily aimed at children in elementary and middle schools, covering ages 6 to 13. However, teenagers and adults, including educators and parents, are also invited to enjoy the 60-minute performance.

The tale at the heart of the show is designed to educate its audience through humor and self-irony. The performance constantly references both past and present trends and styles in video communication and entertainment, featuring a VJ on-screen, rap music citations, playful pop choruses, and diversions into music hall and jazz. The production is conceived to inhabit the fantastical realm of a fairy tale. Nevertheless, through its various elements, including theater, music, dance, and song, the show offers enjoyable yet thoughtful reflections on several important themes: nutrition education, the potential excesses tied to it, food manipulation and adulteration, the value and function of food, the recognition of animal traits, respect for the environment, and the creative and symbolic role of masks.

The video backdrop features a unique character—a video VJ—who, in a television studio, introduces the character of Cino, the young protagonist of the story and a major consumer of altered and sophisticated foods.
During a magical night, Cino is transported to an upside-down world where he faces an imaginary trial, encountering several animal characters. These animals speak and sing, and in Cino’s dream, they encourage him to reflect on his eating habits, leading him to reconsider his excesses.

The dreamlike journey that forms the backbone of the theatrical experience is guided by two narrators, the VJ and Cino, both singer-actors. It is accompanied by music specifically composed by Maestro Paolo Zambelli, and supported by pre-recorded voices and choirs. The show also relies on the technical and expressive talents of the dancers from the Fabula Saltica Company, led by choreographer and director Claudio Ronda.

The dramaturgy follows the structure of typical children’s literature and the coming-of-age novel (Bildungsroman), a literary genre in which the young protagonist matures by learning through principles and reasoning. These lessons, absorbed through the theatrical play, foster the character’s conscious growth.

The show, in addition to being a children’s dance/theater production, is especially well-suited for family programming.