Argentine Ballet Leaps into National Theater Next Week

The National Theater in downtown San José next week will offer up its floors to artistic feet, welcoming the ballet show “Hernán Buenosayres: Angel y Demonio” (“Hernán Buenosayres: Angel and Devil”).

Partly inspired by Dante’s works, the ballet centers around the character Hernán Buenosayres, played by Argentine dancer Hernán Piquín, who descends into a purgatory in Buenos Aires, accompanied by La Cancerbero (played by Miriam Coelho), who strives to turn Buenosayres from sin and help empower him to find love.

Piquín and Coelho, along with a cast of 11 dancers, give a mixed-style performance, with a dark, Gothic theme for the first half, and a starkly different classical style for the rest of the show.

International critics have dubbed 32-year-old Piquín the successor to renowned Argentine dancer Julio Bocca, who was Piquín’s dance teacher in the Ballet Argentino, according to a statement from the show’s promoter.

Performances are scheduled April 18 and 19 at 8 p.m. at the National Theater. Tickets are available at the theater’s box office (221-9417) for ¢12,000-34,000 ($23-65).