Il Ballo del Doge by Antonia Sautter the one in a lifetime event of the Venetian Carnival turns 30!
Three decades of Glamour and Socialitè in the Venetian Lagoon
The art of dreaming as a way of life and an invitation to celebrate oneself are the two leitmotifs that will intertwine in the spectacular staging of Il Ballo del Doge 2023 – the most elegant and sought-after event of the Venetian Carnival – which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.
The Greatest Dream. Yesterday. Today. Forever… Antonia – this is the title of the thirtieth edition of Il Ballo del Doge that will be staged on Saturday 18 February 2023 in the monumental setting of the Scuola Grande della Misericordia – blends “a dream of a Saturday night on Fat Saturday” Shakespearian atmosphere, with an original playlist, promising to involve its exclusive international audience in a multi-sensory journey through the three decades of Il Ballo del Doge.
Reviewing clips and images from past editions with my creative team, I realized how much Il Ballo del Doge recounts three decades of fashion, customs and society, so unique and different from each other…
reflects Antonia Sautter, the Venetian soul and mind behind Il Ballo del Doge since the first edition in 1994.
l Ballo del Doge has been an exceptional stage from which to observe three decades of glamour and socialité in the lagoon, a meeting point for VIPs and international guests, from Marta Marzotto to Vivienne Westwood, from Zucchero to Agatha Ruiz De La Prada, from Bebe Vio to many others whom I will not mention out of respect for their privacy. Along with styles and fashions, the way of putting on a show, entertaining guests, the tastes and flavours on the table have also changed, not to mention the technologies…
The 30th edition of Il Ballo del Doge will be a dreamlike journey aided by imaginative choreography and extraordinary costumes, allowing guests to relive some of the highlights of past editions. Accompanying the guests amidst sumptuous mise-en-place and floral jubilation will be an enigmatic figure, able to re-emerge from the deepest darkness and take a flight of fancy…
The identity of this allegory will be revealed during the evening, I don’t want to spoil the surprise for my guests!
Antonia Sautter promised,
I can say that we will celebrate the history of Il Ballo del Doge, in a purposeful manner, with an eye wide open to the future. Too often – we women especially! – do not pause to congratulate ourselves for what we have done: we must learn to be more indulgent, kinder to ourselves and to others, without ceasing to dream. I have never stopped working (a lot!) to make my dreams come true: they are the same I had as a child when I lived the magic of the Venetian carnival, which is nothing else – and in this it is very similar to the world of haute couture – if not the most fun collective game I have ever participated in even as an adult!
The celebration for the illustrious birthday of Il Ballo del Doge promises to be as memorable as it is unmissable: on the new site dedicated to the event, www.ilballodeldoge.com, tickets for the evening event are already selling out. In addition to the tested format of a gala dinner with a show, for this edition, Il Ballo del Doge winks its eye at the rediscovered (post-pandemic) desire to dance anticipating the “After-Dinner” entrance, enlivened by a kaleidoscopic DJ set, at 11 pm.
Antonia Sautter’s Greatest Dream will be staged on Saturday 18 February 2023, in the monumental setting of the Scuola Grande della Misericordia in Venice: 26,000 cubic meters divided over two large floors that combine the most vivid multi-sensory experience of the event with the safety and comfort of large, ventilated spaces. The right place where one can immerse oneself in the visual and musical tale of the “greatest dream” that unites men and women of distant generations and eras: to open one’s wings (of creativity) and take flight.
The Venetian carnival is synonymous with creativity, and creativity is a way of life that I indulge in and promote
says Antonia Sautter,
organizing events for the carnival has allowed me to experiment with many artistic disciplines – from tailoring to set design, from artistic direction of shows to musical selections, and more. It blends tradition and innovation to amaze and delight the public, but also oneself, in a continuous journey of research. In this sense, Il Ballo del Doge is an expression of the best Venetian carnival esprit as well as my personal ‘dream-in-progress’ for thirty years
The original creative touch of the ‘Grande Dame’ of the Venetian Carnival, Antonia Sautter, will also cloak the official Carnival Dinner Show & Ball at Ca’ Vendramin Calergi (Venice Casinò) in glittering glamour and dreamlike magic, with the unprecedented show ‘Original Sinners’ staged on the weekend of 11-12 February and every evening from 16 to 12 February.
And you, are you ready to dream?
Info and tickets: info@ballodeldoge.com, tel. 041-2413802
