A talk with Fernando Melo

Would you tell us about your journey in the world of contemporary dance? How did you get passionate about this discipline and when did you realise that you wanted it to become your job?

I started dancing in my home town, Rio de Janeiro, when I was 8 years old. At the age of 16 I was awarded a scholarship to the Vienna State Opera Ballet school in Austria and I’ve been living in Europe ever since. At a very young age, I already knew I wanted to be a choreographer: to be able to create, craft and direct performances. I guess my dream came true.

What do you like the most about your job as a choreographer?

I like being able to imagine or dream about different scenarios that I, as an audience member, would love to see. Then, a few months later, those dreams become reality right in front of my eyes.

And what’s the most complex aspect of it?

Between the dream and its actuation there is a lot of complex planning and coordination with artists, designers, composers, production teams and entire institutions.

What elements – physical and emotional – can never be missed within a dance performance?

That really depends from choreographer to choreographer. For me, it is crucial that the work generates an emotional reaction on people.

What does it take to develop a site-specific performance, such as that realised for Mutina on the occasion of the event Per noi è lo spazio? In what ways is it different from a theatrical one?

In order to create a site-specific choreography, it is crucial to begin with and to be inspired by the space that has been assigned.

Unlike the conventional theatre set up, where we sort of create a world on stage, here, we begin with the space and its existing potential. Also, when it comes to the audience, in the theatre they are in the “safety” of the dark auditorium, while in a place like Spazio Mutina the observers have the option to choose what to see and for how long.

Where did you take inspiration from for If Walls Could Speak? What kind of experience did you aim at creating for the public?

As the audience wandered from room to room, I wanted them to witness intimate human interactions, as though they were peering into an apartment through an invisible fourth wall. If the walls of these spaces could speak, they would tell about our narrative: stories of families, relationships, celebrations, loneliness… the ups and downs of being human.

What role did the ceramic collections play within the performance?

The ceramics on the walls and floors inspired me to explore the human interactions that happen inside those rooms.

Do you remember the first time you get in touch with Mutina? What impression did you get of the company and its team?

From the first moment I walked in the gorgeous Mutina Headquarters, I had the feeling that I was visiting a contemporary art museum, talking to artists and art curators. Extremely kind, passionate and professional people. My kind of people.

Do you have a favourite Mutina collection? Why?

It is very hard to choose a favourite. However, there is one collection that comes to my mind, because it got my creator side excited: Kosei by Vincent van Duysen. There is something exciting about how such beautiful minimal shapes can be implemented in such different combinations and designs.

If you could develop a site-specific performance for any place or facility in the world, what would it be? Why?

I can’t think of a specific place. I think that engaging with the audience in different ways is always a real blessing. Leaving the safety of the theatre and creating site-specific works can be very challenging. However, encountering different audiences in museums, parks or churches is always an extremely rewarding experience.