However, when Sharoni showed his friends a rehearsal of the work before it premiered, they were met with a seemingly expected but unexpected reaction: a strange reading. “We weren’t thinking about homosexual connotations at all,” he said. “We don’t want to underline it or comment on it.”
“We are queer people,” Borjiro says. “So it surfaced without us addressing it.”
“Alessandro told us to keep it a secret,” said Giannini.
Dancers now perform “Save the Last Dance” more than 100 times in a variety of settings, indoors and outdoors, in squares and at least one cathedral. They recently performed this song at a queer festival in southern Italy.
“It was very emotional for us to be able to perform this song within our community,” said Borjillo. “There are places where the audience’s gaze feels full of prejudice. But five minutes later, they recognize it as a tradition, and they feel fascinated. It’s also a place where generations meet. What belongs to the past really belongs to the present.”
“We really don’t know where to put it,” said PS21 Executive and Artistic Director Elena Siyanko. “It’s not the past. It’s not nostalgia. But it’s not exactly the present. There’s something that defies your expectations.”
Sianco admitted that the dance was a little difficult to program, given its 20-minute run time. “People expect at least her one hour product delivery and proper performance,” she said. At PS21, just as Save the Last Dance is performed in most places, it helps that Borgillo and Giannini are paired with workshops where they teach Polka Chinata to the public. Afterwards, a dance his party is held, where DJ Joro his bolo spins records and gives you the chance to try out a spin with your partner.
