DMAC- Duo Multicultural Arts Center presents

SANGRE & ARENA (Blood & Sand)

by ANABELLA LENZU/DANCEDRAMA

WORLD PREMIERE:

Friday, June 1st, 2012 at 8PM

Saturday, June 2nd, 2012 at 8PM

Sunday, June 3rd, 2012 at 2PM

DUO Multicultural Arts Center

62 East 4^th Street, NEW YORK CITY

General Admission: $15 / www.smarttix.com or at the door

RSVP recommended: info@AnabellaLenzu.com

A sacrifice enacted before the audience’s eyes.

Conceived and directed by Argentinean choreographer Anabella Lenzu, “Sangre y Arena” (Blood and Sand) is a visceral piece of dance-theater that reconnects with the primal impulses that underlie ritual, juxtaposing intellect and instinct. In this interdisciplinary, multimedia production with projections, paints, water, and masks, Lenzu rediscovers ceremony and heritage.

 In our fast-paced society, where technological “connectedness” too often replaces real interpersonal connection, “Sangre y Arena” calls for a return to ritual. In a move away from the purely spectacular and presentational side of dance, Lenzu reconnects choreographically with the primal impulses of art and creation.

The sacrifice of the bull is the central image in the ancient cult of Roman Mithraism. The dramatic iconography of Mithraism—the God Mithras is born from a rock, feasts with the Sun and commands the constellations—provides the inspiration for a new movement vocabulary. By reenacting roles in ancient animal-human combat and rites of passage, “Sangre y Arena” explores the tensions between primitive nature and human sophistication. The performers slide between the artistic disciplines of painting, speaking and dancing, while projections show images from the underground temples to Mithras. A dialogue between the design of the movement in the space and the images created on the canvas plays out in front of the audience offering both kinesthetic and visual stimulation.

The sacrificial bull at the center of the Roman Mithraism parallels the sacrifice of the performer. As the ephemeral movement fades, the images created during the performance are a lasting reminder of the conversation and contest that unfolded. In our fast-paced society, where technological “connectedness” too often replaces real interpersonal connection, “Sangre y Arena” calls for a return to ritual. In a move away from the purely spectacular and presentational side of dance, Lenzu reconnects choreographically with the primal impulses of art and creation.

Choreography: Anabella Lenzu

Music: Geoff Gersh

Vocal Coach: Daniel Pettrow

Dancers: Lauren Ohmer, Julia Lindpaintner & Anabella Lenzu

Light Design: Stephen Petrilli

 Photo by Ana Leiva

http://www.AnabellaLenzu.com