Monica Cervantes is one of two choreographers gearing up for a big show. Joining the Luna Negra Dance Theater three years ago gave her the opportunity to leave her native Spain and for the first time, get a taste of Chicago.
"The people don't have the motivation to see dance or they are not use to going to the theater, so it's hard to bring people to see dance," Cervantes said. "So the fact that we have the possibility to come here to be more free and to share our work that's really nice."
Cervantes was brought into the dance troupe by artistic director Gustavo Ramirez Sansano. He aims to carry on cultural traditions while breaking new ground in modern dance.
"Luna Negra, one of its statements is steering away from stereotypes of the Latino culture so when i came here one of the things i wanted to do was go deeper in that," he said.
With a nod to its choreographers, the upcoming show is called Made in Spain. It's a mix of ballet, jazz, modern, and contemporary dance.
"The flavor that you're going to see is going to be Latino in the way that we normally see, Latino but we're going to see another side of the Latino culture," Ramirez Sansano said..
With the exception of the reprisal of one of Cervantes' previous works called Naked Ape, the show will feature all new arrangements.
"It's different always because there's new movement, new choreography. It's a new set. It's a new trip. Because it's made in Spain, for me it has a nice personal feeling," Cervantes said.
The Luna Negra Dance Theater's show will be Saturday, March 9 at the Harris Theater and it will be performed to live music by the Turtle Island Quartet.
For more information:
http://www.lunanegra.org/
