I chose to see two performances from the Tel Aviv Dance 2010 Festival. The second one will be another encounter with Alvin Alley and his American Dance Theater, the third one after he made me discover modern dance in Bucharest at the beginning of the 70s, and then I have seen him again on the 53rd street in Manhattan a few years ago. Last night’s performance of Miguel Angel Berna and his Compania de Danza was a fantastic first experience with the work of an impressive artist.
(video source centroaragonesdedanz)
Berna has founded his company in 1990, so he must be now in his 40s, but he has the eternal youth look of many of the great male dancers. He is himself a very gifted dancer, with the silhouette, style and temperament that can belong only to a Spaniard. Together with his team he created in Goya a performance that is deeply Spanish, which takes the themes of the Caprices, Follies and Disasters of War melds and recomposes them in a dark, deep and expressive universe in which humanity fights for survival under the threats of terror and and evil. The result is true to the form and spirit of the work of Goya and has impact on the feelings and interior world of the modern viewer. The performance in Tel Aviv last night was rewarded by the knowledgeable audience here with thundering applause, no little matter if you know that this audience is exposed to the best the contemporary dance scene can offer from the local and world productions.