Tues 15th – Weds 16th Feb 2022
Since internationally renowned ballet star Carlos Acosta set up his company Acosta Danza six years ago it has seen a meteoric rise. Acosta Danza returns to the UK and Nottingham Royal Concert Hall 15-16 Feb 2022, on a brand-new six venue tour infused with Cuban heritage, movement and music. In their new dance programme, Acosta Danza 100% Cuban, swiftly turns up the dance temperature in an evening packed with homegrown talent all the way from Havanna and the audience leave with big grins on their faces.
100% Cuban features three UK premieres by Cuban choreographers plus two audience favourites in an action-packed performance exploring the island’s heritage of dance, folklore and rhythm. This dynamic UK tour is presented by Dance Consortium, the UK-wide group of 18 large-scale theatres dedicated to bringing high quality international dance companies to British audiences.
Tonight’s audience at Nottingham Royal Concert Hall are thrilled by the returning and beautifully executed Paysage, soudain, la nuit, (choreographer Pontus Lidberg), and Impronta (choreographer Maria Rovira). To thrill the eyes and ears even more, tonight’s second half of the programme shows off three new works making their UK premieres namely; Hybrid created by Norge Cedeño Raffo, Liberto (choreographer Raul Reinoso) and De Punta a Cabo (choreographer Alexis Fernandez. Not surprisingly all the dances and dancers are given a rapturous round of applause loud enough to almost blast the roof off the concert hall.
All of the dance works celebrate aspects of Cuban life, storytelling and music. They also look more closely and give us an impression of contemporary Cuba; a country described as one of contrasts; traditional and modern, poverty and development, the classic and the most corrosive. Their dance forms and dance stories show us what is relevant to Cuban society and the arts there but also appeal to the world at large.
The themes throughout are very varied; for example in Liberto, the dancers describe the right that every individual has in life and the piece refers to the evils of slavery with its Afro Cuban roots. In Hybrid the mythical world of Sisyphus shows twelve dancers expressing the real and the unreal and like the myth it explores the notion and power of never giving up on an unending task. Paysage, soudain, la nuit finds choreographer Pontus Lidberg creating a rumba inspired celebration of youth between twilights and dawn that is dreamy and ethereal.
Dance Consortium certainly know what pleases the dance loving crowds and Acosta Danza 100% Cuban proves a 100% success with this Nottingham audience tonight. Is it too early to ask “When are they coming back again?”
Acosta Danza has rapidly become a ‘must see’ on the international touring circuit and from its beginning, Carlos Acosta was super determined that Acosta Danza productions and performances would be world-class and celebrate the Cuban Heritage.
In a recent interview Carlos Acosta said “Cuba is a third world country where everything is very bare but I try to break through that and be comparable with other European companies in terms of production values. We bring in choreographers and designers to help us develop work which is of the highest standard. We are not only developing dancers but also the choreographers and the teachers of tomorrow. This is a long-term project. Hopefully the dancers feel invested in Acosta Danza, they feel happy and proud to be part of that company and founders of that company. I encourage the dancers to teach and, whenever we go on tour, we give workshops. It’s not about egos, it’s about growing and developing talent. I always knew that I wanted to create a company that has its own value, not a platform for people to come and see me perform. Now the company is strong enough that they don’t need me on stage any more. After six years we have the reviews, the awareness of the talent, and I think it is time for the dancers to navigate on their own.”
For your chance to share in the ego free dance which is both hypnotic and thrilling in parts do book for this 100% Cuban dance extravaganza. You too will be mesmerised by the super skilled dancers and come out of the theatre with a smile in your heart.
For more information about Acosta Danza check out their fascinating website.
East Midlands Theatre. 