The Brazilian choreographer, Mari Paula will present a modern dance show at the Conde Duque Cultural Centre on 18 and 19 June, reinterpreting and reversing the great classics from a feminist, political and autobiographical point of view.
Based on the tradition of ballet and theatre, the piece recovers three iconic female figures: Odette and Odile from Swan Lake and Ophelia from Hamlet to free them from the historical roles of victim, madwoman or martyr which were bestowed upon them by their authors. It is a critical response to the Western cultural canon, defined as classicist, white and patriarchal, shaping these narratives for centuries.
However, it is also a deeply autobiographical act, as the creator transforms the grief over the death of her three stillborn daughters into stage material, turning intimate pain into a liberating artistic experience. In this theatre universe, traditional meanings are reversed: madness is no longer a punishment, love does not imply sacrifice, death is not an inevitable tragedy and gender is presented as a fluid space. This will all be set to music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Jose Venditti.
Born in Brazil in 1984, Mariana de Paula Ferreira, known professionally as Mari Paula, graduated in Performing Arts from the Faculty of Arts of Paraná and also trained in Classical and Contemporary Dance at the São Paulo Dance Conservatory and the Paula Firetti Academy in Brazil. She also holds a Master's Degree in Latin American Cultural Management from the University of Granada.
Based in Cantabria, this dancer and cultural manager has worked with choreographers, such as Gustavo Ramírez Sanzano, Olga Roriz, Félix Landerer, Luis Arrieta or Ana Vitória, as well as some of Brazil's leading contemporary dance companies, including Balé Teatro Guaíra.
Artistic File:
- Idea, Director and Choreographer - Mari Paula
- Performance - Araitz Lasa, Julia Kayser, Laura García Carrasco, Galina Rodríguez, Danielle Mesquita, Mari Paula and José Venditti
- Cover - Rocío Barriga
- Playwright Collaboration - Javier Cuevas
- Music and Sound Design - José Venditti
- Artistic Collaboration - Poliana Lima
- Assistant Director - Lívia Delgado
- Lighting Design, Director and Technical Coordination - Carlos Molina and Nuria Henríquez
- Stage Design - Marta Orta
- Costume Design - Sandra Espinosa
- Textile Art - Ana Muñoz de Terry
Approximate Duration: 60 minutes
Recommended Age: All ages
