{"id":2877,"date":"2011-08-26T17:00:11","date_gmt":"2011-08-26T21:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.irasperipheralvisions.com\/WetPaint\/?p=2877"},"modified":"2011-08-26T17:54:22","modified_gmt":"2011-08-26T21:54:22","slug":"latin-choreographers-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irasperipheralvisions.com\/WetPaint\/latin-choreographers-festival.htm","title":{"rendered":"Latin Choreographer’s Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"

Latin Choreographers Festival<\/a>
\nFounded and Directed by Ursula Verduzco<\/a>
\nBaruch Performing Arts Center
\nFriday, August 5, 2011
\nAll photos by Rachel Neville<\/a><\/p>\n

This year\u2019s Latin Choreographers Festival in New York City delivered some of the most imaginative choreography and heartfelt dancing that I\u2019ve seen all year.\u00a0 The Festival featured the work of thirteen different choreographers in styles ranging from modern and contemporary to pointe.\u00a0 Many of the dances had strong narratives while others were more abstract.\u00a0 Each choreographer brought a unique perspective to the festival and it was pure pleasure to watch each group perform in its own artistic voice.<\/p>\n

\"Roberto<\/a><\/p>\n

In La Danza Del Fernando, based on a true story, the protagonist (danced by Roberto Lara) is a laborer.\u00a0 To the accompaniment of traditional Mexican music, he drags himself across the stage and pauses to tend to his sore muscles.\u00a0 We can feel the burden he endures.\u00a0 When his work is finally done, he learns that his employer has shortchanged him.\u00a0 Against the wishes of his woman (danced by Ursula Verduzco), he chooses to hunt him down and attempt to settle the score. Before he leaves, he is on his knees, and in a dramatic moment his woman performs the sign of the cross over him before the stage goes dark.\u00a0 The blackout seems to be an omen that things will not go well for him.\u00a0 When he finds the man, a struggle ensues, the laborer’s humanity is disregarded and he is treated as if he were disposable.\u00a0 The result is even more heartbreaking when you consider that the same scenario will probably be played out with another worker on another day.<\/p>\n

\"Triangulo<\/a>\"Triangulo<\/a><\/p>\n

Triangulo, choreographed by Alejandro Chavez, tells the story of a love triangle between three men (danced by Chavez, Mariano Aviles and Isaac Santana).\u00a0 Dressed in black, the men swagger across\u00a0 the darkened stage.\u00a0 They seem like tightly wound coils.\u00a0 I felt as if a confrontation was liable to erupt at any moment, and just as I was expecting the fight to start, one man drew another into a warm embrace.\u00a0 The dancing in this piece was intense and electrifying.\u00a0 The men move with such abandon.\u00a0 I especially liked the counterpoint of the faster sections.\u00a0 The movement was lightning quick and then it would be so well synchronized when it came together in unison.\u00a0 The very high lifts were dazzling too.\u00a0 At one point, the dancer being lifted executed a cabriole to the front as he reached the top of the lift.\u00a0 These lifts were so much more than tricks \u2013 they were fearless displays of intense emotion.\u00a0 The choreography of this piece was especially imaginative and the dancers carried out the intricate quick steps with clean technique, making it look effortless.<\/p>\n

\"Lights<\/a>\"Lights<\/a><\/p>\n

Benjamin Briones\u2019 Lights On navigated the rocky waters of a stormy relationship.\u00a0 The dance opens with a young couple (Fredrick Davis and Ursula Verduzco) holding hands but pulling apart until they lose their balance.\u00a0 The woman keeps egging on her man, looking for a fight, at moments even striking out at him or throwing punches in the air in rapid succession, as if she was working with a speed bag.\u00a0 Then she\u2019d count on her fingers as she scolded him, presumably listing her many grievances against him.\u00a0 At first, he does what he can to keep from rising to the bait.\u00a0 He covers his ears and even kisses her.\u00a0\u00a0 They dance together but ultimately, she strikes out at him again.\u00a0 This time she\u2019s really hurt him and she\u2019s consumed with remorse.\u00a0 She wants to make peace and they slow dance together, but it won\u2019t be long before their pattern is repeated again in one way or another.\u00a0\u00a0 The choreography was very clever.\u00a0 Even as we are laughing with recognition at their troubles, the dancers break our hearts with their very emotional portrayal of these characters.<\/p>\n

\n

\n

\"Nothing<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Nothing<\/a>
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

In Nothing To Hide, choreographed by Ursula Verduzco, dancer Nicole Correa awakens suddenly within a cage of white fabric.\u00a0 Throughout the dance, she attempts to get out, but it takes some doing before she has the wherewithal to accomplish this.\u00a0 At times, she makes it out, but she stays on the floor and finds her way back inside.\u00a0 Again and again, she pulls her hair in front of her face. At times she clings to the fabric as if it’s part of her — maybe she is even finding comfort in hiding within it.\u00a0 When she finally breaks free and moves toward the center of the stage, her movement, especially her port des bras, becomes big and expansive.\u00a0 She still resorts to sometimes pulling her hair in front of her face, until near the end of the dance when she can finally open her mouth wide and extend her arm, staking her claim and reaching out.<\/p>\n

The piece titled No Regrets drove me to tears.\u00a0 A traveler meets the angel who is about to take him to heaven.\u00a0 I felt as if the choreography was so quiet and reverential while delivering such a huge emotional wallop.\u00a0 There was no drama or hysterics.\u00a0 The portrayal of this man\u2019s last moments was so sweet and heartwarming that it almost gave me solace about the fate of friends of mine who have recently passed away.\u00a0 The dying man is reluctant to leave earth, but the angel convinces him that his time has come, and he serves as a reassuring companion as the transition begins.\u00a0 This piece was so extraordinarily beautiful.\u00a0 It was choreographed by Marcos Vedoveto and danced by Dante Puleio and Robert Johnston to music by Ennio Marricone.<\/p>\n

\"Some<\/a>\"Some<\/a><\/p>\n

Some Day, choreographed by Eloy Barragan and danced by Jennifer Pray and Steven Gray, told the story of lovers who seem to be dancing at cross purposes.\u00a0 They are dressed in gray which seems to demonstrate the limits on their relationship – it never manages to get going, let alone heat up.\u00a0 The movement in this dance was especially original, lyrical and lovely, as the dancers approach one another but never quite meet.\u00a0 It\u2019s as if they can\u2019t find each other.\u00a0 Maybe they exist in two different dimensions.\u00a0 Finally, they do come together in a kiss, and as they execute a turning lift, she is hanging on to him, but he is not holding her.\u00a0 Exquisite dancing by Pray and Gray.<\/p>\n

\"Belo\"Belo<\/a><\/p>\n

The dancers in Belo Corpo delivered a bravura performance of intricate choreography executed at breakneck speed.\u00a0 The dance, choreographed by Tony Powell, pays tribute to the power and vitality of the female body.\u00a0 The women are dressed in flesh tone bras and boy shorts, and they’re dancing to skat music.\u00a0 The movement is quirky and lots of fun and the choreography is so clever.\u00a0 The dancers do not stop for a moment, and it must take incredible athletic strength to get through this piece.\u00a0 But they show no signs of exertion.\u00a0 They all seem so happy, as if they\u2019ve lost themselves in the music and they are enjoying themselves completely.<\/p>\n

The festival closed with Blue Soup, choreographed by Aszure Barton (the one non-Latin choreographer in the festival) and performed by the Steps Repertory Ensemble. The dancers are dressed in business suits and they execute very quick steps to the accompaniment of Latin percussion.\u00a0 There seems to be movement to every single beat and it\u2019s great fun to watch.\u00a0 Then the movement slows way down as we hear Randy Newman singing I\u2019m Different.\u00a0 The dancers, all but one, move in unison while the rugged individualist does his own thing.\u00a0 The final piece was a lovely duet, ending with a little sadness when the woman looks over her shoulder to see the man, but he\u2019s missing.\u00a0 He scoots back into his place when she\u2019s no longer looking.<\/p>\n

I wish that time and space allowed for me to write at length about every choreographer and dance in this festival, because each dance was so beautiful, passionate, and so well done.\u00a0 This is the second time that I\u2019ve seen the Latin Choreographers Festival and I think it\u2019s become my favorite in New York City.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Latin Choreographers Festival Founded and Directed by Ursula Verduzco Baruch Performing Arts Center Friday, August 5, 2011 All photos by Rachel Neville This year\u2019s Latin Choreographers Festival in New York City delivered some of the most imaginative choreography and heartfelt … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2881,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26,20],"tags":[304,305,307,310,301,306,312,303,311,308,302],"class_list":["post-2877","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dance","category-karen","tag-alejandro-chavez","tag-benjamin-briones","tag-eloy-barragan","tag-jennifer-pray","tag-latin-choreographers-festival","tag-marcos-vedoveto","tag-nicole-correa","tag-rachel-neville","tag-steven-gray","tag-tony-powell","tag-ursula-verduzco"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/irasperipheralvisions.com\/WetPaint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2877","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/irasperipheralvisions.com\/WetPaint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/irasperipheralvisions.com\/WetPaint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/irasperipheralvisions.com\/WetPaint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/irasperipheralvisions.com\/WetPaint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2877"}],"version-history":[{"count":60,"href":"https:\/\/irasperipheralvisions.com\/WetPaint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2877\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2944,"href":"https:\/\/irasperipheralvisions.com\/WetPaint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2877\/revisions\/2944"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/irasperipheralvisions.com\/WetPaint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2881"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/irasperipheralvisions.com\/WetPaint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2877"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/irasperipheralvisions.com\/WetPaint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2877"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/irasperipheralvisions.com\/WetPaint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2877"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}