ICK Dans Amsterdam and Opera Zuid present the co-production The Sopranos. Together with choreographers Emio Greco and Pieter C. Scholten, they breathe new life into Giuseppe Verdi’s prima donnas. Sopranos from Opera Zuid and dancers from ICK share the stage in this dance opera.

The Sopranos is the third performance in a series of five around ‘The Body in Revolt’. Within this theme, ICK creates five major dance productions and numerous ancillary activities. It is an exploration of how the body responds to the many rapid developments in our society, where the body increasingly fades due to the growing importance of data and digitalization. This third installment approaches the concept of revolt from a female perspective. What is the place of women and the female body in a male-dominated world, despite advanced emancipation? The women in The Sopranos fight against the ideals imposed on them in Verdi’s 19th-century operas. At the same time, they rebel against contemporary imagery and the sky-high expectations women impose on themselves as a result: a successful career, a harmonious family life and relationship, a thriving social life, and an attractive appearance.

Opera Zuid has also highlighted the power of women in various opera productions. For instance, in the 2011/2012 season, Opera Zuid started a series on heroic, hormonal, and passionate women, allowing audiences to identify with different female characters in opera. Under the same subtitle, ICK Dans Amsterdam presented the dance performance Double Points: VERDI in 2013.

The performance Double Points: VERDI (premiere at Julidans 2013) was an initial step toward The Sopranos. It also focused on Verdi’s complex and strong female personalities. This time, the dancers are accompanied by a live orchestra, two sopranos, and a mezzo-soprano. Together, they engage in a dialogue with Verdi’s legacy, giving it a place within our contemporary society—a physical confrontation between soprano and dancer, movement and voice.