June 04, 2004 -

OTTAWA -- Temperatures in Ottawa are sure to climb even higher than normal this summer as the National Arts Centre, in collaboration with the Embassy of Mexico in Canada,  presents a sizzling 3-event Mexican Heat Wave. Arts lovers can savour the sights and sounds of sunny Mexico as some of the country’s finest artists make their long-awaited NAC debut. All three performances are part of the celebrations commemorating the 60^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Canada and Mexico.

1) Humanicorp: Sexto Sueño: El Ombligo de la Luna (Sixth Dream, the Navel of the Moon)
Thursday June 24 ~ NAC Theatre 19:30; tickets $21 and $17

 “Precarious equilibrium” -- expect the unexpected when this aerial dance troupe soars above the stage, combining the grace of classical ballet and modern dance with the athleticism of artistic gymnastics and acrobatics. Passion meets adrenaline as Humanicorp’s performance takes the spectator into a journey of dreams across the air. Through aerial, classical, modern, and alternative dance forms, Humanicorp creates images and stories that personify the dreams of human beings. The company’s goal is to create beauty and to make possible the impossible. Indeed, the choreographic and technical language pushes the performers to their utmost physical and mental limits. Humanicorp believes that for this reason and for the multiple metaphors found in each piece, audiences are moved and touched during each performance. Sixth Dream, the Navel of the Moon consists of independent urban stories. These choreographic narratives were created in Mexico City (which is translated as ‘Navel of the Moon’ in Nahuátl language), a geographic and cultural centre that gives birth and motive to these pieces. Humanicorp is a hybrid of Mexican dancers, high impact athletes, and creators – body alchemists -- directed by Mexican choreographer Gerardo Hernández Nava.

2) Pilar Medina: Con Tinta de Hojas (Light and Leaves)
Thursday July 8 ~ NAC Studio 19:30; tickets $17

Pilar Medina, one of Mexico’s most distinguished contemporary dancer-choreographers, explores love and death in Con Tinta de Hojas. This theatrical one-woman show in five parts – entitled Voices, Echo, Whispers, Breath, and Silences -- is a compelling fusion of Spanish dance, traditional Mexican dance, flamenco, and percussion. Medina’s roots lie in classical Spanish and Flamenco dance, but she has created her own dance-theatre vocabulary by uniting these traditional art forms with her own contemporary vision. Her performances have been described as “productions which blend dance, theatre and music in a very strong way, beyond classification.” As Pilar Medina says, “Throughout my career as a dancer and a choreographer, I have been dedicated to finding a mixed language between classical Spanish dance, pantomime, gesture, musicality, percussion, flamenco, word, and painting. I have touched the themes of love and death; that which is being born; that which is obscured. I have convinced myself of the tragic and playful way of observing life. I have arrived at music, poetry and image.” Pilar Medina has performed for 25 years in the most important theatres and festivals in Mexico as well as in Spain, France, Germany, Egypt, Kenya, India, Colombia, Costa Rica and the United States. Her choreographic works include Weddings of Sorrow (1983), Earth Strokes (1983), Hymn (1985), Special Delivery (1987), Mass in Thyself (1990), Brief-dance-for-a-long-good-bye (1992), The Golden Eagle (1992), The Seed (1996), Pilgrim’s Love (1998), and Light and Leaves (2002).

“Dance is the most ephemeral of the performing arts. With these lines I intend to reverse this, recording the deep mark she has imprinted with Con Tinta de Hojas”

“Con Tinta de Hojas is part of a solid and successful career which transforms the perceptions and inhabits the memory of spectators.”

3) Son de Madera
Saturday July 17 ~ NAC Fourth Stage 19:30; tickets $14
In collaboration with the Ottawa Folk Festival

The highly acclaimed Son de Madera’s soulful sounds and sensual moves enhance ‘Son Jarocho’ – the traditional fandango music and dance of Veracruz, Mexico – with exquisite musicianship and enticing new sounds. Critical acclaim and delighted audiences agree: this is a not-to-be-missed evening of entertainment!

”…Son de Madera´s soulful sounds win fans in Canada...”

“…Son de Madera shines at mellow folk fest…”

Founded in 1992 and endowed with remarkable skill for creating unusual musical arrangements, Son de Madera represents success in the son jarocho movement, a traditional fandango musical and dance genre from Veracruz, Mexico. Son de Madera’s son jarocho is based on extensive research into traditional music and the incorporation of new sounds which enrich it. Son de Madera appeared across the United States, at Canada’s major folk/traditional music festivals, and across Europe in 2003; the group has also participated in join projects with other musicians, such the Irish music group The Cassidies and the Chicano group Quetzal. Son de Madera’s performances are sensuous and with an exquisite sense of musicianship, and they have been featured on numerous television and radio programs in Mexico and the USA. Their recordings have been used in film soundtracks, and for television documentaries and theatre. Son de Madera is composed of Ramón Gutierrez Hernández (Musical Director, vocals, guitarra de son, cinco zapotero, violin, and zapateado dancing) Annahí Hernández (vocals and zapateado dancing), Andrés Vega Hernández (vocals, jarana and zapateado dancing), Alfredo Herrera (jarana, percussion and zapateado dancing), and Juán Perez (acoustic bass).

Tickets are available at the NAC Box Office (in person) and through Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at (613) 755-1111; Ticketmaster may also be accessed through the NAC’s web-site at www.nac-cna.ca.

Information:
Gerald Morris, Marketing and Media Relations
NAC Dance Department, (613) 947-7000, ext. 249
gmorris@nac-cna.ca

Flor de Lis Vásquez, Press Attaché
Embassy of Mexico,
(613) 233-8988, ext.245
fvasquez@embamexcan.com