NÁCAR by ŻfinMalta
ŻfinMalta's NÁCAR is simply outstanding - a haunting exploration of memory and presence through extraordinary choreography
Dance in Malta goes from strength to strength. The national dance company, ŻfinMalta, forms part of the National Agency for the Performing Arts and is made up of ten incredibly talented full-time dancers, and two apprentices, hailing from Malta and across Europe. It is producing its own works under the artistic direction of Matthew William Robinson, who earned his dancing spurs as the artistic Director of VERVE in the UK.
The company also produces some very interesting works in collaboration with choreographers from elsewhere in Europe such as this glorious new work NÁCAR. It is simply outstanding.
Paloma Muñoz is a Barcelona-based choreographer and dancer from Extremadura, holding a degree in Choreography and Performance from the Conservatori Superior del Institut del Teatre de Barcelona. She herself has danced with notable companies including IT Dansa, Metros, Ramón Oller, Thomas Noone Dance.
This new work by Paloma "explores a desire to inhabit ghosts; those that survive in images, that persist in our bodies, and call out from the invisible." In this choreography, she invites us to "lend our bodies to the memory of others — to become vessels of presence, beauty, and shared echoes." It is a challenging concept, particularly as the dancing is highly sexualized, but it works.
When the dancers first appeared I noticed that Alessandro Pellegrinelli had strangely red eyes and I though he must have been overdoing it in a club the night before. I then realised they all had them, and that this was in fact all part of Lind Rowell's design theme. Think 'Dance of the Zombies.' She naturally puts the dancers in floaty white costumes.
The dancing is simply outstanding, and all the dancers deserve applauds especially as Paloma's choreography is quite demanding. Such as when Marti Blanco Romeau has to support himself with his head at a sharp angle and the rest of his body pointed skywards like a giant 'L'. Mario Manara is mesmerizing and demonstrates extraordinary flexibility, true star quality.
The music by Alejandro Da Rocha is suitably haunting. A rhythmic drumming like a heart beat. This is a simply "must see" show that I hope will be frequently reprised.
To learn more about ŻfinMalta visit their website. Photos by: Darrin Zammit Lupi