This video shows an ensemble piece danced by a Cuban contemporary dance company called Danza Contemporanea de Cuba. The choreographer is George Cespedes and the video by Franco Bozzo. Unfortunately the vodeo quality isn’t very good but I think the quality of the dancing and choreogrqphy more than compensate for the lack or clarity. I think this company is worh a look.
The dance is an abstract piece which is captivating to watch by how the choreographer has arranged a large group of dancers in different ways and configurations as a musician does with music. We see a simple beginning where a few dancers begin a dance pattern of simple gestures in unison. This pattern picks up and grows as more dancers join in. As momentum builds the group divides into smaller configurations as the movement patterns take on increasingly contrasting and textured layers. Throughout the piece we see fascinating arrangements of movement sequences that read as parts of a musical score.
In this piece the choreographer has applied various musical forms from unison, counter point and the development of brilliant movement phrases through the use of canon.
The dancing is direct, focused with strong attack throughout. The driving beat of the music score with the dancers impersonal strong focus and sharp, precise execution of the movements gives the piece a mechanical quality. Perhaps this speaks of the impersonal mechanization of large groups in society.
Although the video shots are interesting I would have liked to see more long shots to get a better perspective of the effect of the choreographic arrangements.
This is a fabulous piece! I really love to watch dance companies and choreographers works from different countries. I find it stimulating to see other persepctives.
I hope you like this to, and pass it on!
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