Teri Jeanette Weikel, originally American but now adopted Italian for over ten years, is a true pioneer in research dance. Her path, patiently developed outside traditional circuits, has embraced the path of rigorous design and interdisciplinary languages. It is clear that for this performer with an uncommon stage presence, live music is never optional; rather, it is a necessity linked to the idea of a performance resulting from a dialogue between contrasting linguistic specificities.
Teri Weikel's upbringing first involved a mother who was a dancer and teacher, exposing her from a young age to the American choreographic culture. A scholarship to the California Institute of the Arts served as a springboard for a career that saw her collaborate with the Gus Solomons Dance Company, Donald Byrd, Karole Armitage, Carl Arts Dance Ensemble, Dance L.A., and San Diego Dance Theatre.
1983 marked a turning point when she moved to Italy. Leveraging her American background, Weikel was soon recognized by enthusiasts of contemporary dance. It's no coincidence that alongside her performing and choreographic experiences over these ten years, she also developed a dense and recognized teaching activity.
Since '84, she has signed works such as "La Giacca," "Questions on Point" ('85), "Stanze parallele" ('86), "Rubi" ('87), "Woodworks" ('88), "Five on Red" and "Baglady" ('89), "Avviso di ritorno" and "Anyway" ('91), participating in numerous events exploring the relationship between music and dance, such as the "Monk" Project. Then, starting in '92, began the significant engagement known as Bulgakov: a three-year project dedicated to "The Master and Margarita," culminating as a co-production with Oriente Occidente. The Modena-based Tir Danza company interpreted it in Trento with a completely new lineup assembled specifically for the third encounter with the Russian novelist.
Following the studies "Brevi ritratti del vento" (1992) and "I manoscritti non bruciano" (1993), Teri Weikel completed her interdisciplinary investigation into "The Master and Margarita" alongside musicians Antonello Salis and Danilo Terenzi (authors of the show's score), actor Renato Carpentieri (curator of dramaturgy and theatrical realization, as well as on-stage interpreter of the Master), and actress-singer Luisa Pasello. Continuing the approach from the previous two studies, Weikel doesn't approach the text through narrative dance. Instead, she aims to mold the qualitative energy of dance around the essence of the novel's characters. Weikel thus divides her work into multiple layers, designing choreographic traces that dynamically vary depending on the characters' everyday dimension (see Ivan Nikoleyavich) or their diabolically timeless nature (Woland, Koroviev, Behemot, Azazelo). The devil's team in dance becomes the team of "masters of surprise," "virtuosity," and "unpredictability." Ivan, the poet, "symbolizes - according to Weikel - a transformation process that leads him to acquire a deeper consciousness of things through the Master's teaching," choreographically appearing to be moved from the outside, manipulated by the characters of the "fifth dimension" (as Bulgakov defines Woland's realm).
Finally, Margherita, interpreted in Trento by Weikel herself, will be investigated according to the duplicity that distinguishes her in Bulgakov's novel, belonging both to the real and everyday world and to the realm of transcendence.
