La paradoja del ser / Espectro (The paradox of being / Specter)
8ADN
May 2018
The contemporary dance Company 8ADN Bodies in Action presented two new works this past may 5th at Foro Periplo in Guadalajara, Jalisco.
“The paradox of being” is the result of a multidisciplinary laboratory directed by Luis Betancourt, where contemporary dance, flamenco, hip hop and circus arts converge. The collaborators in creation are: Cinthia García Ponce, Luis González Ortiz, Cesar Díaz Rodríguez, Abigail González Rodríguez, Estíbaliz Moguel, Francisco Villaseñor Martínez y Víctor Abraham Torres Díaz.
Betancourt starts with a solo with a powerful presence and focus as he sculpts his back to the audience, dimly lit. Suddenly, he is interrupted by a voice in the audience claiming his boredom and harsh judgement towards the contemporary clichés. A chorus joins expressing different opinions about the act on scene. The audience enters a meta event where bodies traverse the space while the same scene is projected but happening on the street.
With a post-modern feel, the collective is conscious of their pedestrian actions and they comment about it. They play as they pass energy between them, establishing their character as themselves. The game ends when Betancourt directs the energy towards the audience and yells: “LOVE”.
Perhaps the most representative scene of the multidisciplinary process is the one where Cesar Díaz Rodríguez presents a juggling act; along with Estíbaliz Moguel accompanying with the castanets. These two characters play rhythmically as they integrate different forms and styles.
“The paradox of being” is located in the streets of Guadalajara and in the brief moment of encounter where the artistic wealth of its habitants is visible. The collective identity of this community is questioned and 8ADN proposes a diverse and integrated expression, from classic traditions to urban contemporary.
“Specter followed”, directed by Danira Soltero y Narciso Sanchez. A dance led by Soltero with a virtuosic performance of contemporary release. The lighting design narrated a confined space that expanded with the movement and as consciousness inhabited the space. There is a projection of Soltero in the background showing her bounded by her costume. Sanchez enters the scene from darkness as an air being who follows Soltero. It’s a dance of light and shadow, a search for balance in the risk of falling, collapsing to the ground and accepting the human condition.