DANZA CONTEMPORÁNEA DE CUBA
REPERTOIRE
CHOREOGRAPHY | GEORGE CÉSPEDES |
MUSIC | ALEXIS DE LA O JOYA, EDWIN CASANOVA GONZÁLEZ |
LIGHT | FERNANDO ALONSO |
COSTUMES | ALICIA ARTEAGA RAMÍREZ |
WORLDPREMIERE | JULY 19, 2013, TEATRO MELLA, HAVANA |
LENGTH OF PERFORMANCE | 30 MIN |
ON STAGE | 23 DANCERS |
In "Identidad - 1", George Céspedes explores the complex theme of human identity through dance. He is particularly interested in two aspects: cultural and national identity. Cultural identity, through the interplay of traditions, values, symbols and behaviour, consolidates the sense of belonging within a social group. It forms the cultural codes, norms and rituals that are lived by the respective group. National identity describes the sense of belonging to a community that shares geography, history, politics and a rich heritage of memories. It also includes feelings such as love of one's own, such as hatred or fear of the foreign, such as pride, fatalism, self-pity or chauvinism. National identity shows its face in explicitly patriotic symbols such as flags, coats of arms, anthems, national teams and currencies. In addition, there are other individual or collective affiliations based on different factors such as language, skin colour, religion, social status or sexual orientation. Against this theoretical background, Céspedes creates a vital choreography around the human being as an individual and a community being. Or simply put, around the existential question: Who am I?
George Céspedes was born in Holguin in 1979. He studied classical, modern and contemporary dance at the National Ballet School in his home country. Immediately after graduation, he joined Danza Contemporánea de Cuba, where he has since danced in the works of numerous modern choreographers, from Jan Linkens to Samir Akika and Carlos Acosta.
He began creating his own choreographies in 1997 for Danza Contemporánea, the Ballet Nacional de Cuba and the National Ballet School. Today he is considered one of Cuba's leading contemporary choreographers, and he recently founded his own company with the beautiful name "Los hijos del director" ("The director's children").
Céspedes has won numerous prizes in his home country, in 2010 he was awarded the audience prize for "La Ecuacion" at the Choreographers' Competition in Hanover, in the same year he was nominated for an Olivier Award in London with "Mambo 3XX1". He says of himself that he is "obsessively, almost compulsively" obsessed with bringing choreographies to the stage.