Acosta Dance, like the Phoenix

Last Thursday, Acosta Dance — dance company founded and led by ballet dancer and choreographer Carlos Acosta— was back to one of its usual stages, the Alicia Alonso Grand Theater of Havana, aiming to perform the season Fénix (Phoenix) —inspired on the mythical bird which rises from the ashes— .

The company takes on these performances as a new, fresh start, after several months away from the stage due to the impact of Covid-19.

The programme was, in fact, the resume of five-years of work: from El cruce sobre el Niágara (The Crossing over Niagara, by Marianela Boán), a classic of Cuban modern dance assumed by the ballet company since its very first days; or the duet Soledad (Loneliness), by Spanish Rafael Bonachela; to the most recent play in the repertoire: Mundo Imaginario (Imaginary World), by Brazilian Juliano Nuñez.

The latter marks, according to some, the poetic consolidation Acosta Dance has sought from the very beginning: the dialogue between traditional and contemporary dance.

Yaday Ponce, artistic director of the company, stated that Fénix is the longed return after a big pause imposed by circumstances: “We have had months to reflect on our art and our responsibility as artists.” This season may bring some answers.

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Díaz / CubaSí Translation Staff