Lebanese director Ivan Caracalla has received the Knight rank of the Order of the Star of Italy for his contributions to promoting theatrical dance culture in Lebanon, the National News Agency reported on Tuesday.
Ivan is none other than the son of the founder and artistic director of the legendary Caracalla Dance Theatre, Abdel-Halim Caracalla, the Lebanese genius who brought magnificence to the world of dance.
Nicoletta Bombardiere, the Italian Ambassador to Lebanon, presented Ivan Caracalla with the Knighthood Order to the artist on behalf of Italian President Sergio Mattarella during a ceremony held at the Caracalla Dance Theater in Sin El-Fil, which Caracalla directs.
In her speech on the occasion, Ambassador Bombardiere praised him for his work, describing him as “one of the most prominent figures in the performing arts in Lebanon.”
“By awarding this medal to Ivan Caracalla, we present a medal to his own theater’s vision and his message and for spreading the culture of theatrical dance in Lebanon,” she said.
On his part, Caracalla said he was honored to receive the Order, which, he stated, “perpetuates my artistic and cultural relationship with Italy and its great artists.”
Throughout the illustrious directing career that has spanned 2 decades and saw him reach international fame, Ivan Caracalla has repeatedly worked with Italian artists and directors, including the iconic Franco Zeffirelli, whom he first met in Baalbek in 1997.
“This is not just a knighthood. Rather, this is a new challenge,” he said, “a challenge to continue this journey that enriched my vision and work to develop it into new artistic horizons and sublime cultural achievements.”
Caracalla added: “The whole world is enlightened by what Italy has provided for art and creativity in the journey of humanity, which has had a great impact on my artistic career.”
He thanked Italy‘s government and its embassy in Lebanon for honoring Lebanese artists, affirming that this constitutes “an incentive not only to continue but also to develop in our artistic path towards contemporary art for the coming time.”
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