Voices of women, at the Cenart, tells with dance the stories of Puccini’s protagonists

The Italian company Artemis Danza, directed by Monica Casadei, returns to Mexico after a first visit in 2008, to join the global commemoration of the centenary of the death of the opera composer Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924), although from a feminine perspective.

Mexico City is the first stop on a tour of Central and South America. The cast is made up of eight dancers. Puccini’s opera: Women’s voices focuses on the emotions and feelings expressed through the dance of the protagonists of the works La boheme, Turandot, Tosca y Madama Butterfly, although what will be seen is not the opera itself, but contemporary dance that tells a story with the body.

Founded in 1994, the company will also offer the master class The Soul of Artemis: Introduction to the Movement and Repertoire of Monica Casadei, today and tomorrow, with prior registration by email [email protected]with a maximum capacity of 20 participants per session. According to Casadei, a selection of those registered will have the opportunity to participate in the performance with professional dancers.

For the founding director, the link between the four women is that they have all been rapedphysically or psychologically. The choreography begins with the final scene of La boheme, with a very sick Mimi. It continues with the story of Turandot, who It is considered cruel; However, he claims abuse suffered by his grandmother.

Madama Butterfly It is the story of the abandoned, humiliated and betrayed woman, who dreams of her marriage, although everything collapses when she realizes that her partner is no longer there. For Casadei, Tosca embodies one of the ugliest and most terrible stories, since it is about an innocent singer, whose life changes completely. It is revictimization and the criminal relationship.

According to the choreographer, the dancers have a fantastic opportunity to directly share their emotions; Furthermore, they are very emotional, and do not dance in an abstract way, but rather become deeply involved in the story being told. I ask the dancers not only to be gymnasts and athletes, but to combine their abilities with emotion and feeling. There are those who consider them very acting.

He notes that Puccini, as a composer, has a relationship very strange with women. In his personal life it was very difficult for him to fall in love with someone. Many critics say he probably found love with women through opera..

Casadei refers to his dance style as “very energetic. I come from aikido. My daily practice as a dancer is classically trained and I introduce martial arts, which represent a very strong training and are in all my works, especially in Turandot”.

Puccini’s opera: Voices of women, by Artemis Danza, will be presented tomorrow at 6 p.m. at the Teatro de las Artes, National Center for the Arts (Río Churubusco 79, Country Club neighborhood).