Delfos Danza Dazzles

Delfos Danza Contemporanea in "Trio y Cordon". Photo by Carlos Quezada.

Delfos Danza Contemporánea, arguably Mexico’s top contemporary dance company, performs its 20th Anniversary Concert Resonancias (Resonances) to the Dance Center at Columbia College this weekend. From the opening number last night with three topless dancers clad in origami paper skirts, different was the name of the game. The six company dancers were solid and unique. Some of the choreography worked better than others (I prefered the more dance-based pieces to the heavily conceptual), but taken as a whole showing works throughout the 20-year history, the performance provided a nice, smooth ride finishing stronger than it began.

Kudos to Lighting Designer Erin Tinsley* and the tech crew for spot-on incorporation of the intricate lighting design that was indeed innovative, but sometimes distracted from the dancing. Stand outs: Omar Carrum for his choreography and his strong, dramatic, intense solo Juana in which he wore a giagantic black skirt calling up images of Joan of Arc, a Samurai soldier and a 16th century priest. Dancer Surasí Lavalle was exquisite;  her low center of gravity allows her to move faster, further and more efficiently than seemingly possible. Both of these dancers also stood out in the final work Del amor y otras barbaridades (About love and other calamities) as the male-female couple that struggles aggressively and sexually, then reconciles.

Delfos Danza Contemporánea performs at the Dance Center at Columbia College, 1306 S. Michigan Ave. Two shows left: Friday-Saturday, April 5-6 at 8 pm. Tickets are $26-$30; call 312-369-8330 or visit colum.edu/dancecenter.

*Update/correction: The fabulous Lauren Warnecke, who works on the Production Crew, clarifies that the lighting design was by Co-Artistic Director Victor Manuel Ruiz and Stage Managers Austin Shirley and Rigoberto Del Valle. The crew mentioned above works for the Dance Center. Stellar job to all!

2 thoughts on “Delfos Danza Dazzles

  1. Working crew this week, I’ve been really impressed with the whole operation at Delfos. They are friendly, appreciative, and self sufficient. To clarify, Erin pushes Go when they tell her to and the tag team of Austin, Rigo, and Victor are responsible for the crazy amazing lighting design. I’ve crewed more than a handful of shows at the DC and this company ranks among the top in terms of professionalism and pleasantry. A total delight!

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