Sep 20, 2011 | Focolare Worldwide
They are young artists who are taking part in “Arts & Culture – Reshaping Urban Life” which was organized by various partners from the worlds of art, culture, and education. They are financed by the European Union cultural program (EACEA). Among them is also the Starmacher Association, known for its Strong Without Violence program that was carried out together with Gen Rosso in many schools throughout Europe and the world. The group of urban artists has recently returned from Udine, Italy, where they worked together for ten days (24 August – 4 September) in the “Park of Cement” sharing their impressions of the city with its citizens through paintings, acoustic works, and sculpture, as in the filigree model of the city’s water tower. Udine was the itinerant project’s third stop, which foresees laboratories to be carried out in five different cities of three European states (Udine and Venice in Italy; Schwerte and Dortmund in Germany; and Sternberg in the Czech Republic). “The atmosphere among us is quite particular,” a young student from Monaco di Bavaria recounts, “It’s as if we’ve known each other for a long time. And we’re actually able to work together on a single work of art with several artists. And our hosts immediately perceive our every need and desire! This is quite an exceptional way of working!” During February, in Schwerte, Germany, the participants were joined by experts to examine the theoretical and cultural foundations of their work. The central topic was the mutual influence between urban development and artistic expression in society and in the cities of today. There is a direct link between art and city, and young people have a particular sensitivity for the place in which they live. Their works almost always reflect their birthplaces in some way. The second stop was in the Czech Republic (2-10 July) where an old and abandoned monastery in Sternbeck became the point of inspiration. Each artist could choose his or her own “art studio” in which to work. In the evenings they met to chat and know each other better, to sing and dance. Each seminar concluded with a public showing of their works that had been created during the days of the seminar, but also included some paintings or sculptures which came from their studios at home. The fourth stop is underway in Udine at a workshop with Gen Rosso ending on 23 September. Upcoming stops include: an interdisciplinary seminar with Gen Rosso in Dortmund, Germany and, finally the concluding congress in Venice on 23 February 2012.
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Aug 16, 2011 | Focolare Worldwide
On August 13, the international performing arts group Gen Rosso performed at World Youth Day to an audience of over 30,000 young people who travelled to Spain from all over the world. The concert was in preparation for the 26th occurrence of this great youth event, already underway. The Gen Rosso musicians write: “The majority of the young people staying in the host city of Barcelona have come from France, Italy, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Belgium, but also from Australia, Indonesia, Brazil, Canada, Uganda, Syria…”. The cardinal of Barcelona, Msgr Luis Martinez Sistach, challenged the young people present from all over the world “to love every person without distinction, but to have a preferential love for the poor”, encouraging them to imitate Jesus by following Mary’s example. “To love people indiscriminately” – state the members of the Gen Rosso band – “seemed to be the perfect admission ticket to our evening concert!” The band is not new to World Youth Days. We ask them what they expect from this one in Madrid: “Today many young people react against a system that doesn’t think about them; the WYD is another expression of rebellion, but not against something or someone, but to promote the Gospel values that Jesus left us”. 
Fresh from tours in Cuba, Jamaica, China, Morocco, we ask them to give us a brief impression: “There’s so much to say… but we have to summarise it in an SMS! A common denominator that we found, here too, is that of seeing that a united world is possible, that it is not a utopia. We found so many young people in these countries, all different, yet extremely willing to share our values and adhere to the ideals of universal brotherhood”. The concert you presented is new: “Indelible Dimension”. What is it about and what do you want to convey to spectators? “As always, Gen Rosso tries to show its identity through its concerts. ‘Indelible Dimension’ has something more: it aims to convey the indelible marks left in our souls through coming directly in contact with so many young people from all over the world. A great number of them have become part of our lives and we of theirs. This ‘dimension’ goes straight to the heart of the spectator as well“. The day after the August 13 concert, a Catalan newspaper highlighted the group’s international identity, lived in a spirit of brotherhood, as the quintessential essential element to build a cohesive society in today’s times. “Our hearts are filled with gratitude towards God” – state the ‘Genrossians’ – “for giving us this first beautiful moment with the Barcelona youth. Here we found a youthful and lively Church! Now Madrid awaits us!”
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May 10, 2011 | Focolare Worldwide
Liliana Cosi
In the 1960’s Liliana Cosi was a young ballerina at the beginning of her career. This interview retraces the steps of that period in Moscow.
“An Italian swan conquered the USSR”, was how an Italian newspaper headlined after your debut in Moscow back in 1965. What was the story behind this headline?
I was in Moscow for my second year of apprenticeship at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy as part the historical cultural exchange between Milan’s La Scala and Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre. My Ballet Mistress, Irina Tichomirnova, decided to teach me the role of prima ballerina for Swan Lake. It was a very new and very challenging experience for me. Ms. Tichomirnova was very demanding- she literally sculpted each of my movements, each of my gestures – but I was up for it!
As we draw closer to the debut (I think she was more nervous than I) she said to me, “Now forget everything I’ve told you and dance with your Italian soul!” Then in the changing room, a few minutes before going on stage, she took my head in her hands and made three signs of the cross on my forehead… she didn’t know that I was Christian; I didn’t have any outward signs.
Liliana Cosi and Rudolph Nureyev
I had just met Chiara’s Ideal and it had taught me that love of God was something to be lived out, not put on display. The next day the Soviet newspaper Isvietzia reviewed the performance and described my dancing as full of ‘spirituality’, an expression that had never before been used in that newspaper! That debut was the beginning of my career.
Did you go to Moscow alone?
Liliana with Valeria Ronchetti
No. Other than the small group of Italian ballerinas who lived in the Bolscioi School Residence and of whom I was group leader, there was also Vale: Valeria Ronchetti one of Chiara’s first companions who had come to Moscow to accompany me. It’s difficult to describe how important those months were for me: a phase of radical change of mentality that influenced (and continues to influence) my whole professional, spiritual and human life. Something that perhaps sums up that period is one of the things Vale said to me: “You don’t have to dance for Jesus; it has to be Jesus in you who dances”.
Did you go back to Russia afterwards?
I was invited back often by the Soviet government: right up until 1989 I went on tour not only around Russia but also in the various capitals of the Soviet Union. I did over 130 shows there and, as a jury member, I took part in three international ballet competitions in Moscow.
What did you take away from the experience in Russia?
From a strictly professional point of view it gave me a lot. At the time there were many dance masters and artists at a very high level. Right up until today they are models for me when I teach and coach at our dance school and ballet company. As a life experience it taught me that you can live the Gospel anywhere and that this Gospel based lifestyle fascinates even those who don’t know anything about it.
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Apr 7, 2011 | Focolare Worldwide
“All our warmest greetings from Germany where this unforgettable and unique experience with the junior high and high school kids has by now become a tradition”.
One of Tomek Mikusinski’s impressions of Gen Rosso’s German tour in a letter he wrote to our editorial team on behalf of the whole troupe before they set off for the Czech Rebublic.
The German tour began in Heidelberg- 200 teenagers in the run-up to the sacrament of confirmation freely gave up part of their winter holidays to parttake in “Strong without Violence”, a tried and tested educational project, carried out thanks to collaboration between Gen Rosso and various schools in a number of European countries.
500,000 young people have taken part in the project to date. The European Union sponsors this project based on the group’s musical Streetlight: the true story of Charles Moates who grew up in one of Chicago’s ghettos in the 60’s. Following the ideal of a united world Charles was always opposed to violence and this choice cost him his life in 1969.
Drawing on this inspirational figure, the project strives to transmit values that help young people combat violence, marginalisation, bullying and other problems facing teenagers in their urban environments. The conclusion of the teenagers’ work was displayed in the Eppelheimer Rhein-Neckar-Halle, with 1,100 paying audience members. The novelty of this year’s tour was the “Doku-Workshop”: participants made a documentary which covered the whole week’s activities right including the build-up to the show and the audience’s arrival in the theatre. Its photos and interviews about Gen Ross’s daily life and their work on the road was screened during the evening.
The next leg of the tour was in Bonn with 13 workshops and over 500 participants. After that came a strongly multiethnic school in Dortmund. Last off was Cologne where the troupe had a particularly special experience with young students with hearing difficulties. “I am proud of my students”, said the principal of the LVR-Johann-Joseph-Gronewald School, “because putting on a musical despite hearing difficulties is obviously a huge challenge. I thank those who had the idea for this indispensable project and for the huge opportunity given to my students”.
“Gen Rosso, you absolutely must keep this project up because it really, really helps us young people!”, wrote one of the participants on the group’s Facebook page, confirming the worthiness of an idea that is spreading more and more among students throughout Europe.
