Review: GRUPO CADABRA DAZZLES with HERMAN CORNEJO in ANIMA ANIMAL at The Joyce Theater

Argentinian-based dance company Grupo Cadabra made their New York premiere on February 18th at The Joyce Theater with the dazzling contemporary ballet, Anima Animal. Featuring ABT Principal Dancer Herman Cornejo, who reimagined this ballet from a century-old Nijinsky idea, the piece was an exploration of the power of evolution: what does it mean to be part of a collective? And then, what does it mean when an individual defies the status quo to go their own way?

The piece began slowly; somber and controlled. Immediately, the company took on an organic movement quality—concave backs, stomping legs, and twisting limbs, like sage trees in a forest. As the intensity heightened, Cornejo was revealed as the rebel, yearning to be different than the others and to go out on his own. A dancer usually known for his impressive bravura, the most powerful thing about Cornejo’s performance throughout was his subtlety. He took great care to walk across the stage with purpose and dignity, articulating every muscle in his toes to create structure and solidity wherever he went. 

The piece evolved effortlessly through different seasons of life and nature. A breathtaking musical score, by Luis Maurette "Uji" and Noelia Escalzo, danced between classical rhythms and organic nature sounds to ground the piece in different atmospheres; this was complemented brilliantly by striking lighting design from Clifton Taylor. A particularly moving section featured the company as ocean waves. Carefully and methodically, the dancers ebbed and flowed, accentuating their hands, forearms, elbows, and shoulders to mimic waves lapping up on the shore. They flowed across the stage peacefully and for many moments, the audience was just as quiet and still; meditating in this beautiful movement.

At the height of the piece, Cornejo took the stage with Ximena Tamara Pinto in a pas de deux filled with longing and discovery. Like any great pas de deux, the two danced as one unit, finishing each other's movements with ease. Like a ribbon catching wind in the sky, the pair repeated sequences of spirals (in attitude pirouettes, in renversés, in turning arabesque penchés) to represent the constant evolution of life on earth. 

It was breathtaking.

Especially in such a time of great political and social unrest, Cornejo and Artistic Director Annabella Tuliano have created a deeply tactile piece of work, meant to make us think about and feel our connection to the earth around us. It is deeply moving and deeply somber; and yet, in the darkness, an unmistakable flame of light burns on.

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