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IMPRESSIONS: Alessandro Sciarroni's "Save the Last Dance for Me" at Le Skyroom, L'Alliance New York
By Miranda Stück
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Published on March 17, 2026
"Save the Last Dance for Me," Photo: Romy Kirchauer
Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels and L’Alliance New York present
Save the Last Dance for Me
Concept: Alessandro Sciarroni with Gianmaria Borzillo and Giovanfrancesco Giannini
Artistic Collaboration: Giancarlo Stagni
Music: Aurora Bauzà and Pere Jou (Telemann Rec.)
Styling: Ettore Lombardi
Technical Direction: Valeria Foti
Tour Technician: Cosimo Maggini
Le Skyroom, L'Alliance New York
February 28 and March 1, 2026
In the naturally lit Skyroom of L’Alliance in Midtown, choreographer Alessandro Sciarroni co-presents Save the Last Dance for Me in collaboration with Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels. While preserving the classic Italian folkdance polka chinata, Save the Last Dance for Me also shares the significance of trust and joy in partner work.
Only one row of audience seats surrounds the light wooden floor, creating an intimate atmosphere for the duet. Dancers Gianmaria Borzillo and Giovanfrancesco Giannini appear in silky and colorful print blouses and pants, beginning contact by the touch of a hand. When the steady, repetitive bass of Aurora Bauzà and Pere Jou’s music starts, the dancers whisk into Sciarroni’s cyclical choreography appearing relaxed. The dancers’ charisma and comfort with each other makes it evident they have danced together before. To someone who has never witnessed polka chinata, which originated in the early 1900s in Bologna, Italy, the principal components of courtship and energy transmission are candidly visible.
During the 20-minute dance, Borzillo and Giannini embrace adoringly, locking knees and whirling as they fill space alongside the audience. Their entwined crouching rotation is traditional to polka chinata, which was historically danced exclusively by men. Sometimes, the dancers’ rotations deepen. Other times, they push off each other to execute an electrifying jump or seamless triple pencil-turn, mesmerizing the audience with the element of choreographic surprise.
What’s most hypnotic about this performance is that no matter how demanding or speedy Sciarroni’s choreography becomes, the dancers remain focused on each other, unafraid to maintain long, fearless eye contact. When they smile or laugh at each other, there is a heartwarming sense of intimacy familiar to anyone who knows the feeling of having butterflies around a loved one. Their dreaminess evokes an undeniable sentiment, bringing the audience even closer.
Suddenly, an unexpected moment occurs near the window. This is the first time the dancers pause and find stillness, and while the music continues at full tempo, it’s unsettling to see them transform from dancers to people. My curiosity sparks, wondering if the dancers’ relationship will change after their physical separation.
With a silent but clear cue, Borzillo initiates a resumption of the partnership, which lasts until concluding in calm stillness. While Borzillo and Giannini’s physical capabilities, especially in their legs, impress me, I can’t help but watch their faces, which evoke kind-hearted delight for the length of Sciarroni’s work.
I feel inspired and am pleasantly surprised that Save the Last Dance for Me isn’t simply a dance, or a preservation of history, but the story of two human beings who find connection and balance in each other.
