Theatrical Pérez-Salas

June 10, 2010
by
admin

Emotions drip from the stage (literally) when it comes to
the Tania
Pérez-Salas Compañia De Danza
. As a choreographer, Pérez-Salas is deeply
driven by her passion for literature, visual art, and philosophy, melding that
passion to real life experiences allegedly offering a film-like quality that
anyone with artistic taste can appreciate.

Her most notable work, The
Waters of Forgetfulness,
is more like watching a 4D movie. The dancers move
through a shallow pool of water on stage with languid movements and hair whips
deeply accentuated by the arcs of water spraying from their bodies. If you want
the full picture, watch the video. Press from
around the world has been raving about this piece calling it "Unbelievable,"
"Remarkable," and "Ingenious." Some even consider it Mexico's foremost
contemporary work.

The dance is based on Ivan Illich's essay, "H2O and the
Waters of Forgetfulness," serving as a reflection of water's vital role in
life. He wrote:

"Water is deep and shallow,
life-giving and murderous... Water remains a chaos until a creative story
interprets its seeming equivocation as being the quivering ambiguity of life."

The use of actual water on stage makes the piece all the
more magical. A subtle light shines from above, creating a mesmerizing effect
that glistens through the water droplets cascading through the air. Even with
the special effects, the dancers keep to a very natural state, gliding through
the water, washing themselves, and even making love. The sensual nature
represents the cleansing and purification by the life-giving water to our souls
and bodies alike. The entire concept and theatrical nature of Pérez-Salas'
realization has left audiences in awe all throughout the world, and makes its
Minnesota debut at the launch of Northrop's dance season
on Sept 24 at 8 pm.