La Jornada: One more year, the Despertares gala turned Mexico into the epicenter of world dance

With artistic direction by dancer Isaac Hernández, Awakenings It was held last Saturday at the National Auditorium with a full house. In a single night, the public enjoyed classical and contemporary ballet, tap and urban dance.

A diverse audience attended the gala: ballet students, couples, families and friends of the Jalisco dancer, such as actress Jessica Chastain, with whom he starred in the film Dreams, by filmmaker Michel Franco. For most viewers, Awakenings It is already an annual event with Isaac Hernández, because it offers the opportunity to see him dance and discover the work of international artists who, in many cases, are performing for the first time in Mexico, such as Olivier Mathieu, Mr Kriss, Maria Khoreva, Hee Seo, Thomas Forster, Tars Vandebeek, Bayley Graham, Hannah Ekholm, Faye Stoeser and Nicola Wills.

The program opened with the Frenchman Olivier Mathieu and his proposal Approach 17: Opening. The Unreachable Suspension Point, with music by Philip Glass. On stage, a ladder and a trampoline marked the choreography: the Yoann Bourgeois Art Company performer ascended and descended in a sequence of falls and rebounds that, little by little, transformed into a state of suspension. His body found a rhythm of its own and in the end he slid down the stairs until he ended up lying on the floor.

The next piece was The Corsair, which united the talent of the Russian Maria Khoreva and Isaac Hernández, principal dancer of the American Ballet Theater (ABT). The couple captivated the public with their movements and body expression.

Interested in showing various dance genres, Isaac Hernández invited Nicola Wills and Tars Vandebeek in this edition, who performed Two People in Love Never Shake Hands; Then, Esteban Hernández along with Jazmine Jimison took over the stage with Musical evenings. Then it was time to appreciate the delicacy of Hee Seo as Juliet, accompanied by Thomas Forster in the character of Romeo.

The contemporary twist to the evening came with Splice, where Hannah Ekholm and Faye Stoeser, with music by Floating Points, They showed not only dance, but also their ways of moving torsos and limbs.

Silence arrived at the National Auditorium with the pas de deux of Giselle, with Hernández and Alina Cojocaru, in the adaptation by choreographer Akram Khan, whose darkness and mystery breaks with the original version, which is romantic.

In this edition, Isaac Hernández danced a fragment of Othello, piece with which he debuted this year in New York with the ABT. His partner was Skylar Brandt, and they both felt the love of the audience after their performance.

As part of the gala, Maria Khoreva and Roberto Bolle performed Caravaggio, by the choreographer Mauro Bigonzetti, while the New Zealander Bayley Graham surprised with his proposal Rhythm is My Businnes, where he plays a drum set with his feet and dances to the rhythm of classical music.

The closing, like every year, was My Way. Isaac and Esteban Hernández dance Stephan Toss’s choreography together; Then, all the dancers appear on stage to show their best steps to the rhythm of Impossible, de Lion Babe.

For Isaac Hernandez, Awakenings It means sharing with the Mexican public the works and languages ​​that mark the present of international dance.