Chicago Dance Digest
Luna Negra Artistic Director Gustavo Ramírez Sansano working with Monica Cervantes and Eduardo Zuniga in rehearsal for Carmen.maquia. Photo by Jonathan Mackoff
This Saturday, March 24, Luna Negra Dance Theater unveils a world premiere by Artistic Director Gustavo Ramírez Sansano. The new piece, titled Carmen.maquia, is a contemporary take on the fiery Spanish gypsy, Carmen, set to selections from Georges Bizet’s beloved opera. The piece is an abstract interpretation of the famous opera, presented without words, and produced for 14 dancers. Sansano’s detailed and quicksilver movement, peppered with subtle references to traditional Spanish dances, puts a modern stamp on this timeless tale of the thin line between love and obsession.
The work is Luna Negra’s first-ever full evening-length production, and it features Sansano’s choreography, costumes by Spanish fashion designer David Delfin, and sets by designer Luis Crespo. Both Crespo’s set and Delfin’s costume palette are influenced by Pablo Picasso, who was, himself, inspired by the idea of Carmen.
“I’ve grown up with Bizet’s Carmen music all my life, but I’ve always wanted to interpret it through my own impressions,” said Sansano. “Carmen is an old story that’s still relevant today. I think it continues to captivate us – the way Carmen captivated Don José – because the feelings in it are universal. Don José loved Carmen but that love only brought him pain, and the pain from love is the worst kind of pain.”
Luna Negra will present the exciting new invention of Carmen one night only, Saturday, March 24, at 8pm at Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph Dr. Tickets range from $25 to $65 and are available by calling The Harris Theater box office at 312-334-7777 or online at www.harristheaterchicago.org.
