Jacob's Pillow Presents US Debut of DanzAbierta, 7/13-17

In a singular U.S. engagement, Cuba's leading contemporary dance company, DanzAbierta, presents the award-winning MalSon. Choreographed by Susana Pous, MalSon is a love letter to Havana that is immersed in a virtual video world, with music by X Alfonso, a renowned Afro-fusion composer. Cuba's bustling streets, colorful cityscapes, and blue sea are projected in film vignettes that ultimately partner with the dancers' high-energy movement. The Herald (Glasgow, Scotland) declares DanzAbierta a "feisty, radical, and multi-talented company from Cuba" performing "dance-theatre cunningly melded with contemporary movement."

"I went to Havana to see 30 companies in five days from all over the Caribbean," comments Ella Baff, Executive and Artistic Director of Jacob's Pillow. "I discovered DanzAbierta on that trip. I was captivated by the visual elements that play such an important role in MalSon. It's a dance with personality and fresh choreography. This company has never performed in the U.S. before and we are delighted to welcome them."

MalSon is an original contemporary work performed by five dancers in front of a projection drop upstage. Set to a musical mix of contemporary sounds as well as traditional Cuban tunes, it conveys a sense of everyday life in Cuba. Dancers interact and respond to one another, portraying conflicts and relationships. More traditional Latin partnering sections blend into contemporary, modern movement while regularly representing the Cuban culture. MalSon has been recognized with several awards, including Villanueva's for the Best Dance Performance in Cuba in 2009, UNEAC (Cuban Union of Writers and Artists) for the Best Choreography in 2010, and the II Bienal de Danza del Caribe in 2010.

Choreographer Susana Pous, originally from Barcelona, Spain, is now based in Cuba. She created the work as a dedication to her new home, calling it her "love letter to Havana." Pous studied at the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance, José Limón Institute, and graduated from Catalonia's Center of Cinematographic Studies. Her connection to cinema inspired MalSon's unique use of video projections in relation to dancers' movements on stage.
In discussing the importance of dance to Cuban society, Pous states, "Dancing is vital here. Cubans reflect a lot, think about the future... Dancing is a space of total freedom. Here, people are on edge. They live in a very intense good and evil [manner.] Expression is very important to them. That is why the dancers give everything on stage. They play their lives."

DanzAbierta was founded in 1988 by Marianela Boán, a dancer and choreographer who graduated from the National School of Dance in 1971 and received a degree in Hispanic Literature and Language from Havana University in 1981. Before DanzAbierta, she danced and choreographed for Contemporary Dance of Cuba for 15 years. Her outside interests in theater, visual arts, and music led her to integrate these art forms into the work of a style she calls "polluted dance." DanzAbierta continues to present works influenced by this style.

Since 2003 DanzAbierta has been under the artistic direction and general management of Guido Gali. Gali has choreographed El Arte de la Fuga for DanzAbierta, a piece that was granted the Choreography Award from Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional in 2006. He has also worked with choreographers such as Pepe Hevia and Norbert Servos.

Dance in Cuba, a free PillowTalk on Saturday, July 16 at 4pm, will put this engagement in context with other cultural exchanges between Jacob's Pillow and Havana. One early example of such exchanges dates from 1937 when Ted Shawn's Men Dancers performed in Cuba. This talk will also examine the cultural climate of Cuba today and reflect on vital moments in their broader artistic relations. PillowTalks are free and open to the public, and offer rare interaction with artists and experts in the field with in-depth discussions, moderated interviews, film screenings, and book signings. See a full list of the week's free events below.

Performance and Ticket Information

Ted Shawn Theatre
Wednesday, July 13 through Saturday, July 16 at 8pm
Saturday, July 16 and Sunday, July 17 at 2pm
Free Pre-Show Talks with Jacob's Pillow Scholars-in-Residence are offered in Blake's Barn 30 minutes before every performance.
Tickets $42-64.50. Now on sale online at jacobspillow.org, via phone at 413.243.0745 or in person at the Jacob's Pillow Box Office.
Under 35 Fridays: As part of the Pillow's younger audiences initiative: $35 under 35 tickets (for individuals 35 and younger) are available for the Friday evening performance of DanzAbierta. Limit two (2) per person, must show valid I.D. when tickets are picked up. Under 35 ticket holders will also receive a bonus gift from Under 35 Fridays sponsor Blue Q.
Box Office hours: Monday and Tuesday 10am-6pm, Wednesday through Saturday 10am-8pm, and Sunday 12pm-5:30pm.

Pillow Members receive exclusive benefits. To become a Member call 413.243.9919 x125.

Jacob's Pillow is located at 358 George Carter Road in Becket, MA, 01223 (10 minutes east on Route 20 from Mass Pike Exit 2). The Jacob's Pillow campus and theaters are handicapped-accessible.

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