Once the program of the
season is set, the creation process begins. Our
2008
Fall Season program on September 26 and 27 at the Harris Theater for
Music and Dance will be very special as it opens the celebration of
Luna Negra Dance Theater's 10th Anniversary. Artistic Director Eduardo
Vilaro has concocted a superb evening of Latino contemporary dance
featuring the World Premiere of Deshár Alhát (Leave Sunday), a
new work inspired by the mesmerizing music and culture of the Sephardic
Jewish community who settled in Latin America in the early 20th Century;
the Chicago Premiere of There is a Time by José Limón, one of
the most prominent American choreographers (of Latino origin) in modern
dance; and a new work by Mexican choreographer Francisco Avińa.
The creation process is
not necessary linear with a specific starting date. In the case of
Deshár Alhát (Leave Sunday), it began long before Vilaro started to
work with the dancers. It started with his family, when he heard of a
relative of his who was Sephardic. It later became a subject of interest
and fascination. And when he met Ladino singer Stefani Valadez, he was
haunted by the beauty and depth of the music and by the incredible
fusion of cultural influences that make up the Ladino music: Spanish,
Moorish and Jewish. Themes and images started to take shape; questions
popped up until it was clear that this could be the beginning of a
story. Vilaro started to ask around. In 2007, he met with writer Achy
Obejas, a Cuban Jew herself and later went to The Center for Jewish
History. He read poems, stories of Sephardim in Latin America, listened
to music and ultimately went on a research trip to Buenos Aires,
Argentina. There he got in touch with the Sephardic Jewish community,
listening to stories, visiting places of education such as the Latin
American Sefardic Federation as well as interviewing Hazans and Cantors.
He came back inspired, ready to choreograph. On his first day back from
Argentina, Vilaro writes: "I have just returned from a research trip to
Buenos Aires and have begun working on Deshar Alhát (Leave Sunday). The
music is lush, melancholic and soulful. I am working on themes of lost
home, yearning and disappearing in the vocabulary of movement and the
images these songs bring to mind. It has been an absolute joy to be back
in the studio even with the soreness and pains of my 'not so young
body.'"
The work is in its
early shape now, after 2 weeks of creation. Vilaro has yet to finish it
and will need another week if not two of final work. Though the
structure is clear, there will still be more research and conversation.
The dancers will also get to work with Stefani Valadez and her musicians
before the performance to make sure the choreography and the music are
in sync. This is another aspect of collaboration with musicians and
performing with live music. Rhythms need to be adjusted. Musicians and
dancers need to discover each other and understand the movements of the
piece, how they breathe, sing and feel.
Deshár Alhát
(Leave Sunday) will premier on September 26 and 27th at the
Harris Theater for Music and Dance as part of the opening celebration of
Luna Negra Dance Theater's 10th Anniversary.
Photo by Cheryl Mann. |
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In
the Wings: Flying with United
 This
year, Luna Negra Dance Theater has been touring more than ever and has
taken over the skies with United, our exclusive and official airline
sponsor. Thanks to United's sponsorship, the Company was able to fly all
over the country, performing at New York City's prestigious New Victory
Theater, the Stamford Center for the Arts (CT), the Livermore Valley
Performing Arts Center (CA), and the Jim Rouse Theater in Columbia (MD).
We will continue to tour in October and November to Kansas, Minnesota,
Tennessee and Virginia.
These touring opportunities make it possible for the Company to be seen
nationally and to expose
audiences of all backgrounds to the incredible richness and diversity of
works by Latino contemporary choreographers. It also lets them know that
Chicago is a great city with a vibrant arts community.
See our touring schedule
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