Andrea Salustri's Invisible, a standout piece at the opening of the 2026 Venice Dance Biennale, contains almost no dance. Instead, it focuses on the movement of light, air, water, and sound. Salustri and Alice Rende act as shadowy conductors, creating storms with flashing light, amplified raindrops, and billowing smoke that forms a tornado. Salustri, a circus artist and philosophy graduate, won the Italian callout for new work.
20th Anniversary and the Question of Dance
This year marks the 20th dedicated dance festival in Venice, which became an annual event after being part of theatre and music programmes. Artistic director Wayne McGregor, joined by four former directors, discussed the event's aims. Choreographer Marie Chouinard noted that the question “what dance is” remains an ongoing inquiry, “so ordinary that it is still necessary somehow.” A new film, Life Lines, by McGregor and Ravi Deepres, compiles archive clips showing the festival's range from conventional to theatrical.
Theme: Time Does Not Exist
McGregor's theme, Time Does Not Exist, is influenced by physicist Carlo Rovelli's theory of quantum gravity. Soa Ratsifandrihana's Fampitaha, Fampita, Fampitàna explores diaspora and embodied memories of Madagascar, featuring three dancers and guitarist Joël Rabesolo. The piece meanders like a conversation, touching on profound moments.
Silver Lion and Political Works
South African Mamela Nyamza received the Silver Lion for emerging artist. Her piece The Herd/Less features a clan on tin-can stilts, with subtle shifts in power and symbols of control like spears, but no violence. Emanuel Gat's Five Days in the Sun is set to Mahler's Fifth Symphony. The dance sometimes feeds off the music, other times ignores it. Costumes in the first movement, with long flowing peach gowns, and expert lighting create visual drama. Anaïs Van Caekenberghe is a standout performer.
Broader Definitions
Salustri's work exemplifies that movement can mean more than dancing bodies. The Biennale Danza 2026 continues until 1 August. Lyndsey Winship's trip was provided by the Venice Dance Biennale.
