Since it’s inception in 1999, the Luna Negra Dance Theatre has been an artistic and educational resource for the worldwide dance community. Now, 12 years later, the Theatre and current artistic director Gustavo Ramirez Sansano have stayed true to the original mission to serve as a springboard for Latino artists, said executive director Joanna Naftali during an email interview with The Park Record.
“(We are here) to develop their work, to be able to give an artistic voice to the culture of their community and express that to a broad range of audiences,” she said. “I’m not sure if we are encountering too many misconceptions, however we do try to introduce contemporary artists who are not necessarily playing to stereotypes and by doing so we present a broad range of movement styles that audiences may or may not immediately associate with Latino culture.”
The Theatre, along with the Turtle Island Quartet will bring a unique program comprised of three works “Bate,” “Danzón” and “Flabbergast” to the Eccles Center tonight.
“The program was designed for Park City, working with specific requests from the Eccles Center,” Naftali said.
“Bate,” by Brazilian choreographer Fernando Melo, is a work for 5 men, inspired by the spirit of Brazilian soap operas and the masculine world of Samba, where men express not only their love and devotion to women, but also their troubles and melancholy, Naftali said.
“It has great elements of humor and is a reflection of everyday life that people from many cultures can relate to,” she explained. “The movement is challenging for the dancers and at the same time very accessible for the audience.”
“Danzón,” by Luna Negra Dance Theatre founder Eduardo Vilaro, was originally created to showcase the collaboration between the Luna Negra Dance Theatre, Cuban jazz icon Paquito D’Rivera and Turtle Island Quartet, Naftali said.
“It is a celebration of the traditional Cuban dance style Danzón,” she said. “It premiered in 2009.”
The last piece, “Flabbergast,” was the first piece the Luna Negra Dance Theatre commissioned from Gustavo Ramirez Sansano in 2001 before he became the theatre’s artistic director in 2009, Naftali said.
“The work brings together the choreographer’s first experience of living in the United States 10 years ago,” she said. “(It brings) to life the bustle of a large city and its fast paced inhabitants. It has a true ‘stranger-from-another-place’ feel to it, which is very relevant to our audience.”
Reaching new audiences is important for any arts organization, but especially vital for the Luna Negra Dance Theatre, Naftali said. While touring and performances are a good, basic way to bring the art to audiences, the Theatre also participates in outreach programs in the communities they visit.
“(We want) to introduce our unique movement style and aesthetic to a new audience, to bring the culture and expression of Latino artists to a new stage and provide new contact points for both audience and artists,” she said. “Luna Negra Dance Theatre takes its relationship with our audience very seriously. We are dedicated to giving our patrons an ongoing view of the creative process by inviting patrons to the studio; by sharing video of rehearsal and interviews with choreographers and by engaging in public discussion about our work.”
The Park City Performing Arts Foundation will present the Luna Negra Dance Theatre and the Turtle Island Quartet on Saturday, Feb. 12, at 7:30 p.m. at the Eccles Center for the Performing Arts, 1750 Kearns Blvd. Tickets are $18-$65. Visit www.ecclescenter.org or call the box office at 655-3114.