2006-05-18




(Photo Source: teatroteam.it)

When Italian gymnast Giulia Staccioli announced her retirement after competing at the 1988 Olympics, she was 24 years old. That's considered fairly old in a sport where the average female athlete is under twenty and weighs in the double digits. So instead of quitting the sport while still in her prime, Giulia went back to school, moved to the US to dance with contemporary dance group Momix, and after 3 years, decided to start her own dance company.

Kataklo, Greek for "I dance folding and twisting" is a combination of sports, dance, gymnastics, and acrobatics. Her company, all former competitive athletes, have performed shows all over the world, their biggest show being the opening ceremony at this year's Winter Olympics in Torino.

And this month as part of the 2006 Year of Italy, Kataklo made their first trip to China, performing in Guangzhou, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Beijing. They've also visited numerous dance academies and universities, bringing students a taste of Italy. So this week, I caught up with Giulia during Kataklo's stop at the Contemporary Music Institute in Beijing.

Kataklo will be performing this Friday May 19th at the Beizhan Theatre in Beijing. To find out more on Kataklo and the Year of Italy in China, you can go to www.yidalinian.org.