On Saturday, I attended POEMAS, a dance performance
presented by The Latin Ballet of Virginia and the Poe Museum in Richmond. Each
piece used the inspiration of the poetry of Poe, Neruda, Lorca, or Storni. I
wasn’t sure how these artists were going to fit together. Poetry from Chile,
Spain, and Argentina and the United States? Where in the world were they going
with this? Yet, I was excited about finding out. Also, I was excited that it was going to be
held at the Poe Museum's Enchanted Garden but alas the weather turned cold so
it was moved to the Gottwald Playhouse at Richmond Center Stage. I have to
admit that since the last time I froze during Poe’s birthday bash, I was more
than alright with the change in venues.
Let’s start by saying that I know very little about
dance so I’m not even going to try to label the styles. Some of it looked
contemporary, some African inspired, some flamenco, and “The Bullfighter”
included a tango. What I can say is that without a doubt, the choreography
communicated beyond languages. The dance along with a few props set a tone for
each piece. Even when one poem was spoken in Spanish only, a language I cannot
speak, it was interpreted through visual means. Did I understand the depth of
the poem without words? As a lit professor, I must say that that wasn’t
possible; but, what it did do was inspire me to go home and find translations
of these works.
program from performance |
program from performance |
Each piece seemed to build the momentum. Alfonsina
Storni’s “Alfonsina and the Ocean” was breathtaking. Pablo Neruda’s lines from
Poema 15 are haunting, “I like for you to be still: it is as though you were
absent, and you hear me from far away and my voice does not touch you.”
Federico Garcia Lorca’s “The Bullfighter” was so
visually stunning with dancer Roberto Whitaker (who also embodies The Raven
beautifully) dancing as the bull. Is this guy really a dancer in Richmond, VA?
Seriously! He was so talented. I believed he was a bull just as much as I
believed he was a raven. Another talent
was the bullfighter, Antonio Hidalgo Paz, who also choreographed this part of
the performance.
I have to applaud the talent of dancer Jamie Alison
LaNeave embodied “The Death Spirit” and Ana Patricia Nuckols who was able to
juxtapose creepy and beautiful with subtle movements.
While I went to see interpretations of Poe, I was
introduced to the macabre through poems and the visual interpretations of the
dancers who brought them to live. I left the performance thinking that I need
to check out more performances by the Latin Ballet of Virginia.
I really hope that they do this performance again
when the weather is a bit warmer so we could see it in the garden OR other
similar poetry-interpreted performances.
Wow, I love this idea! Wish I could have seen it, it would be fascinating to see how they translated poems to dance!
ReplyDeleteNice idea! I really liked it for my cousin’s birthday party. He loves poems and this idea will make his party very interesting. Currently we are looking for some affordable venues in Chicago for his birthday bash. Hoping to find one venue soon.
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