Dance Theatre Minimi Silvia Gribaudi: GRACES

Graces is an internationally acclaimed dance piece by Silvia Gribaudi, filled with humor and warmth, and has been performed over 200 times worldwide. Now, it finally arrives to Kuopio!

Graces is a sculptural pop performance that explores ideals of beauty, the freedom of the body, and humanity—virtuosically, playfully, and touchingly. The work draws inspiration from Antonio Canova’s classical sculpture The Three Graces (1812–1817), but in Gribaudi’s hands, grace and beauty take on a new, unexpected form.

On stage, we see three male performers along with choreographer Silvia Gribaudi herself, known for her unconventional and bold style. Gribaudi describes herself as a “bodily creator,” whose works blend dance, theater, and performance art. She highlights the beauty of imperfection, and her art moves straight to the core of human existence—empathetically, comically, and with warmth.

In Graces, Zeus’ three daughters—Euphrosyne, Aglaea, and Thalia—come to life in contemporary bodies, breaking the boundaries of gender and beauty norms. The stage transforms into a space where men and women meet without roles, moving in the rhythm of nature.

The piece was created in collaboration with director and visual theater artist Matteo Maffesanti, who supported Gribaudi throughout the creative process, including through participatory workshops.

“Using Antonio Canova’s sculpture The Three Graces (1812–1817) as a foundation, three male performers and Silvia seek new meanings for ‘grace.’ The performance reveals the essence of our humanity through dance and text, but above all, with warmth and lightness.” – Annette Van Zwoll, dramaturge

“Silvia is an Italian prophet of the free body. Not the body of an acrobatic gymnast, often associated with strength and muscles, but a truly free body—one that has liberated itself from the demands and obligations imposed by so many cultures. It is vital and healthy to examine beauty as culturally relative. The Three Graces radiate splendor, joy, and prosperity—the three cardinal points sculpted into Canova’s marble—which Gribaudi manages to free from time and gender stereotypes, revealing them through the power of irony.” – Roberto Canziani, Quantescene! Cose di Teatro