Visceral Brilliantly Brings Carmen’s Kinetic Fire to Dance

When an opera about a spirited and sensual gypsy debuted on a Paris stage in 1875, audiences were disdainful and offended. Some were even outraged. Deviating from convention can have that affect.  A decade after that opening, Carmen had achieved international renown. It now stands as one of the most enduring pieces of performance art ever created because of its willingness to take a realist approach to love and explore its darker side.  Set in southern Spain 150 years in the past and soaked in the melodies of composer Georges Bizet’s gorgeous score, the opera remains a singular jewel.  Although a perennial standard in opera houses around the world, rarely has it been translated into another medium.  In setting it to dance, choreographer Gustavo Ramírez Sansano has expanded its reach by reinterpreting Carmen through the language of movement.  It’s his unparalleled vision that Visceral Dance Chicago brought to glorious life over the weekend at the Museum of Contemporary Art with CARMEN.maquia.

Re-imagined through a more contemporary lens, the look of this Carmen carries none of the feel of a bygone age.  Modernist sleek and bathed in pristine white, the stage looks almost futuristic.  Walls, sculptural elements and David Delfin’s wonderful costumes, with the exception of one, are all in white and cast in light that makes them gleam.

You’re soon lost in a synergy of music and dance that combine to convey a uniquely original outlook on life as well as to tell a captivating story.  Although an explanation or synopsis of what’s being portrayed on stage is provided with the program, you can easily decipher key characters and their significance to one another.  Following important transitions in the storyline is also clear.  The dancers’ energy and spirit radiate through their movements and Sansano cleverly builds in plenty of nuance, humor and drama to turn Visceral’s dancers into compelling actors who have the capacity to enthrall.

That prowess could be seen early on, particularly in the work of the full ensemble. It would continue to the point that you would eventually crave and anticipate more displays of their dance skills as a collective.  But it’s the intrigue of Carmen’s love affairs that must propel the action here. And that need requires the display of different dance dimensions. Those of pairs and trios. 

A rare woman by any measure, over the decades the character of Carmen has attracted many adjectives.  Fiery, passionate, mysterious, willful and seductive all testify to her myriad facets.  A graduate of the Joffrey Ballet School and an exquisitely adept dancer, Laura Mendes brings her own special magic to the role; in addition to each of those descriptors.  Although she’s the only dancer dressed in black, Mendes’s charisma would make her standout regardless of the color of her costume.  Encroaching on defiance, her confidence is both palpable and electric.  When she seduces Don Jose, danced superbly by Tyson Ford, the union is searing and ominous.  It’s the power and beauty of their dance sequences, showcasing a broad spectrum of emotions, that help make this adaptation so exceptional.  Marked by small gestures, shrugs and telling glances, there’s also another layer of silent language being communicated between their dance performances.  It’s those connecting interludes that stoke the drama and intensify the splendor of their duets. 

Love and commitment aren’t always synced.  Carmen’s flirtations with a renowned bullfighter, Escamillo (Justin Bisnauthsing) are more expressions of her independence than a reflection of her dissatisfaction.  Through dance, we see her relationship with Escamillo grow and deepen.  You sense a lightness and joy in their dance pairings. They’re stark counterpoints to the volatile intensity seen in her segments with Don Jose.  And in Micaela, Don Jose has his own complicating entanglements.  A messenger trying to persuade him to return with her to their village to see about his ailing mother, she’s also a possible love interest.  Alessandra de Paolantonio dances Micaela and injects the work with a noble grace that adds a wonderful sheen of elegance to CARMEN.maquia.  Loathe to leave Carmen, his dance with Micaela embodies the doubt and anguish he endures before relenting and going with her to his home.  Ultimately, when he returns, obsession and jealousy lead to tragedy.  Even after the curtain falls, you’re hoping there’s some way this world Sansano and Visceral’s dancers have created could continue.  For that, we have to wait to see if there are other collaborations between the two in the future and hope they equal the triumph of CARMEN.maquia. 

A contemporary dance company founded by Nick Pupillo in 2013, Visceral Dance Chicago has the distinction of being home to an exceptional corps of dancers. Under Pupillo’s leadership, the company explores fascinating avenues of dance expression.  Sansano’s CARMEN.maquia, which premiered twelve years ago with Luna Negra Dance Theatre when he was Artistic Director there; is but one delightful example.   With deep diversity within the company, it also embraces the expansiveness a word like “contemporary” implies. That strong element of inclusivity adds additional layers of interest and appeal to the works they perform and was key in making this production so engrossing.  Slated to perform during this year’s Dance for Life celebration August 10th at the Auditorium, Chicago dance enthusiasts have a new opportunity to see Visceral’s distinctive contributions to the city’s vibrant dance terrain.

CARMEN.maquia

Visceral Dance Chicago

June 28-30, 2024

Museum of Contemporary Art

220 East Chicago Ave.

Chicago, IL  60601

https://www.visceraldance.com/