La Desnudez, meaning nakedness, is a dance production that pushes the boundaries of how intimacy is show-cased on stage. Performed by Spanish national award-winning dancers Daniel Abreu and Dacil Gonzalez, La Desnudez sees the dancers express emotions through their dynamic and fluid movements. “I think dance is the best medium to show whatever emotion we want. And in this case, it is intimacy,” Daniel tells us. The production heads to Bengaluru this weekend and is presented by Attakkalari, in collaboration with the Embassy of Spain, in New Delhi.
Daniel’s dance performances are always known for the directness through which he projects the
themes and personality of his characters. His perspective of the relationship between movement and expression is unique. In 2004, he founded the Daniel Abreu Company and so far, they have put up more than 50 shows and toured countries in Europe, Asia and America. Back home in Spain, when
Daniel was doing his master’s in Systemic Therapy (a field in psychology), he was intrigued by theories of what keeps people together in relationships. “There is a term called ‘myth’ in psychology,” the dancer tells us, adding, “This ‘myth’ is very important in understanding what makes two people stay in a relationship that is sometimes toxic. There are couples who are bad for each other, but when one of them passes away, the other dies in a few weeks or months.” It is this complicated equation between a couple that La Desnudez looks into.
Daniel’s background in psychology has always served as inspiration for his work. For this particular production too, he took a deep dive into the field. “I read many books on psychology, some of them
were very difficult to understand on the first reading. I also looked into the film Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? It was very interesting for the process. But I also don’t think we need to find plays or books to create something. Everyone has a beautiful story,” the artiste says.
Joining Daniel on stage is fellow dancer Dacil. The two use deft movements to capture the nuances of love, whether it is subtle car-esses, or passionate depictions of love making. Dacil has been part of Daniel’s dance company for over a decade now and the two share striking chemistry on stage.
The production will be accompanied by a moving soundtrack. “There are different kinds of genres in our soundtrack: classical, pop and electronic music. But the most important thing is the live music, which is played by Hugo,” Daniel shares. Tuba player, Hugo Portas, who hails from the region of Galicia, is currently working on his doctoral thesis about tuba music. “The tuba is a powerful instrument and very difficult to play, but he is a master. He has created a sound atmosphere that is emotional and brilliant,” Daniel concludes.
Rs 250. May 20, 7.30 pm. At Bangalore International Centre, Domlur
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