No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsArts and CultureContemporary Dance Festival opens at the Melico Salazar

Contemporary Dance Festival opens at the Melico Salazar

The lobby of the Melico Salazar Theater was packed last Tuesday, and when the hundreds of patrons finally flooded into the auditorium, they filled nearly every seat, including those in the second-story balconies. They didn’t come to see a pop band or Broadway hit. They came to see modern dance.

The 13th National Festival of Contemporary Dance presents the works of numerous Costa Rican dance companies over the course of five days. In the warped era of “Dance Moms,” the festival is a relief: Young dancers represent schools and academies across the country, performing original choreography and demonstrating what they’ve learned. For a mere 5,000, visitors can enjoy a full evening of up to three different recitals.

The Tuesday inauguration was big on fanfare: Organizers made eloquent speeches for nearly 25 minutes, and the event was followed by drinks and hors d’oeuvres in the second-floor Dinorah Bolandi Gallery. Most importantly, the first troupe to present was the National Dance Company, whose “Cuerpo TransLÚCIDO” lasted about an hour.

Translated as “TransLUSCENT Body,” the new work by Pepe Hevia was a series of interconnected vignettes starring about a dozen professional dancers. Using such diverse musicians as Bach and Balanescu, the dancers staged numerous dramatic scenes, many of them scattered and disjointed, as if narrating several stories at once.

“Cuerpo” was a particularly heady opener, as the piece was light on narrative or tangible theme. According to Hevia’s notes, the piece “creates a connection between the intellect and emotion, offering a choreographic language of precision and transparency.”

In the final segment, two of the male dancers emerged from the wings, completely disrobed. The nude forms paced slowly across the stage, as if sleepwalking, until they broke from the trance and started some of the most elaborate movements of the show. Some of the audience tittered, others were stiffly silent. San José is not Paris, after all, where artists routinely expose themselves. But the show continued until the performers formed a queue and marched into a slow blackout, and the auditorium erupted in applause.

“Cuerpo” wasn’t a very focused piece, but it showcased an enormous range of physical expression, and at a festival that nakedly celebrates the possibilities of contemporary dance, that’s all you need.

El Festival Nacional de Danza Contemporánea takes place Aug. 5-10 at the Melico Salazar Theater and the Theater of Dance, both in downtown San José. Tue.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m. 5,000 ($10). Info: Theater website.

Trending Now

Rural Costa Rica Adopts Ecosystem-Based Approach to Climate Resilience

As climate change intensifies, rural communities across Costa Rica are taking concrete steps to reduce risks and adapt to increasing climate pressures. With support...

Exiled NGO Slams Bukele’s Rule as Repeat of Authoritarian Past

Salvadorans deserve “something better” than living between “gangs or dictatorship,” said Noah Bullock, director of the influential NGO Cristosal, in an interview. On Thursday,...

Keylor Navas Joins Pumas UNAM in Major Liga MX Transfer

Keylor Navas has agreed to become the new goalkeeper for Pumas UNAM, marking one of the biggest signings in recent Liga MX history. The...

Costa Rica’s Religious Culture Through the Eyes of a Non-Religious Expat

Costa Rica is the only country in the Americas that has an official religion—Catholicism—enshrined in its constitution. While the Constitution recognizes freedom of worship,...

Costa Rica’s Tourism Faces Decline Amid Rising Crime and Costs

Costa Rica’s flagship tourism industry, long a cornerstone of our nation’s economy, is dealing with a noticeable downturn in 2025 as rising crime, health...

Costa Rica Rescues Endangered Amphibians and Turtles in Store Bust

The Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ), through its Specialized Section Against Environmental Crimes, carried out an operation at a store in Vázquez de Coronado, San...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica