The Gondola Project: una serata di danza per otto gondolieri

July 11, 2003 and October 9, 2004
Canale della Misericordia
Venice, Italy

The Gondola Project was a choreographed dance for some of Venice's best-known residents--gondoliers. The dance investigated the rich history and contemporary work-life of the gondolier, and featured 8 gondoliers maneuvering their gondolas on a Venetian canal. Allison spent over two years researching and preparing for the performance — getting to know gondoliers, taking rowing lessons, and slowly gaining access to the notoriously tight-knit gondolier community.

The thirty-minute free performance premiered July 11, 2003 and was repeated again October 9, 2004. Enthusiastic audiences attended both performances, giving the gondoliers long applauses at the dances’ conclusion. Struck by the beauty and grace of the gondolas and gondoliers, one audience member wrote, “There was no feeling that Venice was once again being “used” but in fact, that it was being celebrated and was receiving a gift…I sense, also, that the gondoliers were grateful to be giving something to their city.”

The dance was accompanied by original music composed by Edoardo Arengi, and all of the participating gondoliers donated their time for the rehearsals and performance. Allison and the cast have hopes of presenting the dance again, and who know’s- maybe taking it on a world tour!