Synthesize dance and architecture. Transform urban space through movement. Make art democratic. These are the core principles of the Catalan vertical dance company Delrevés. Founded in 2007 by Saioa Fernández and Eduardo Torres, Delrevés has built a solid international career over the past decade, thanks to the founders’ ability to blend different artistic disciplines in their performances: theater, contemporary and aerial dance, hip hop, as well as new technologies and even pointe shoes.
As is the case in the site-specific performance hosted at Oriente Occidente, where they adapt their latest creation, Uno, for the space of the Manifattura Tabacchi – currently undergoing urban redevelopment. Here, three performers attempt to take classical ballet out of context. The audience will recognize some famous classical variations from Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and Giselle, inserted into a new context. The goal? To explore the concept of balance. And what could be more fitting than a pointe shoe, a metaphor for instability and the difficulty of finding a new balance for the body? But here, everything is amplified. The need to establish physical equilibrium in the absence of gravity and in relation to a vertical wall is coupled with an investigation into the theme of psychological control, the sense of belonging in our society, and relational moderation with others. “You always cross paths with someone by chance,” explain the creators. “Someone who comes and goes, who pushes or holds back, and as they pass, they allow you to glimpse a fragment of their story.”
Is it possible to escape the gazes of others? To flee from new encounters? This is what the three performers of Uno, suspended in the air, ponder in their quest for physical and psychological balance while being followed by indiscreet and distant eyes.
