March 17, 2008
Luna Negra Dance Theater's concert at the Harris Theater Saturday proved to be a defining moment for the Chicago company. Titled "Nuevo Folk," it solidified the group's mission of contemporizing Latino rhythms, ideologies and histories. With a program that stretched from the ancient Aztecs to Brazil's Carnival, Luna Negra shattered stereotypes while crafting true postmodern reimaginings of these cultures.
Three world premieres burrowed deep into the roots of Mexican and Cuban history, with the late Venezuelan choreographer Vicente Nebrada's bravura deconstruction of Brazilian revelry, "Batucada Fantastica," a showstopping finale. Yet each work was a streamlined, abstract representation of Latino identity that incorporated unexpected uses of Mexican rock, Afro-Cuban jazz and even Mozart.