Ready for a weekend of marveling at Costa Rica’s best dance compositions? The 32nd edition of the Choreographers Festival will take over the National Theater in downtown San José for four nights starting Thursday. The festival will feature 50 dancers performing 16 pre-selected choreographies.
Awards will be given in five categories: First-time Participation, Beginners, Experts, Best Female Performance and Best Male Performance. The winners will be chosen by an international jury made up of Marcela Sánchez Mota, Octavio Zeivy, and Ana Baer.
This year’s festival will honor renowned dancer Elena Gutiérrez, founding director of the National Dance Company and first director of the National University’s dance department.
The festival will also pay tribute to Julián Calderón, one of the most internationally renowned Costa Rican ballet dancers of the 2oth century, and Ofir León, founder of the cultural association Signos Teatro Danza. The festival will also recognize the victims of a tragic car accident that took place 50 years ago in Choluteca, Honduras, in which 31 people died, mostly Costa Rican girl ballet dancers on their way to a performance in the Honduran capital.
Choreographers Festival program
Thursday, November 19
Inauguration Ceremony and tribute to Julián Calderón, Ofir León, and Choluteca victims
Choreography “Simbiontes” by Mario Vircha
Choreography “Háblame como la lluvia…o como te dé la gana” by Metzi Hovenga
Choreography “22” by Laura González
Choreography “Tlalli” by Laura María Murillo Soto and Melissa Rivera
Friday, November 20
Choreography “Agua Ausente” by Isaac Alemán
Choreography “Pleamar” by Laura Jiménez
Choreography “Partes Iguales” by Javier Jiménez
Choreography “Borderline” by Fabio Pérez and Andy Gamboa
Choreography “Ciego Adiós” by Pablo Caravaca
Saturday, November 21
Choreography “En cápsulas” by Raquel Muñoz
Choreography “Prosopos” by Adrián Flores and Gabriela Alfaro
Choreography “Pesadilla, by Milagro Acuña
Choreography “Sinestesia” by Mariana Lizano
Choreography “Recuerdos encriptados” by Sol Carballo
Sunday, November 22
Choreography “¿WA APIN?” by Karlton Lacey
Choreography “Invisible” by Henriette Borbón
Tribute to Elena Gutiérrez
Projection of performances of choreographies “Bienaventurados” (1978) and “Gloria y alma” (1997)
Closing ceremony, and presentation of awards
The 2015 Choreographers Festival will take place November 19 – 22 at the National Theater, downtown San José. Tickets: ₡5,000 ($9.40) general public, ₡4,000 ($7.50) students, ₡3,500 ($6.60) elderly. Performances start at 8 p.m. For more information, visit the National Theater website or call 2010-1111
