When the curtain rises on April 28, 2026, at the Grimaldi Forum’s Salle des Princes, audiences will witness more than a ballet; they will observe an exploration of the primal roots of human movement. With Core Meu, Jean-Christophe Maillot, the long-standing choreographer of Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, presents a work that bridges the technical rigor of pointework with the visceral abandonment of the tarantella.
Rooted in the traditions of the Puglia region in Southern Italy, the piece draws from the cultural heritage of the Salento. Historically, the tarantella served as a ritualistic remedy for the supposed bite of a tarantula - a biological threat that was largely non-existent, yet served as a vital pretext for villagers to bypass religious prohibitions against dancing. Under the guise of a cure, these communities engaged in exhaustive displays of trance and seduction.
This is the terrain that Maillot has navigated for forty years: the intersection of desire, sensuality, and mortality. Accompanied by the live music of Antonio Castrignanò and Taranta Sounds, the company’s fifty dancers move to the rhythmic pulse of the tamburello. The choreography oscillates between moments of quiet poise and sequences of intense physical exertion, building in momentum over the course of forty minutes.
This version of Core Meu, which saw its initial premiere at the Place du Casino in 2017, culminates in a dionysian finale. In a final act, the mass of dancers collapses as a single body, marking the end of a celebration of physical intoxication and Mediterranean history.
The production is a centerpiece of the 2025-2026 season and will be staged at 10 Avenue Princesse Grâce.
Photo credit: Les Ballets de Monte Carlo