Contemporary Dance: Millenium!

Yesterday we had the amazing opportunity to witness two mayor events:
1. Greta's graduation.
2. Contemporary Dance ensemble.

Contemporary dance is more than a genre of concert dance that employs systems and methods found in modern dance and postmodern dance. It is a complete type of corporal expression based on Classic Ballet techniques, involving less rigidity of movements. Draws on modern dance techniques as well as newer philosophies of movement that depart from classical dance techniques by altogether omitting structured form and movement. Its oringin goes back to the late XIX century, as a cry for an alternative to the rigorous technique of Clasic Ballet, breaking the ice with dancer finally dancing barefoot and leaping through the air without restrictions on the stage.

A Guatemalan Contemporary Dance team that has been around for a while, Millennium. With several years in performance and tour, this group of exceptional Guatemalans bring us human nature and movements to a stage that projects vivid emotions and complete joy (of life) to the stools... to your minds. This dance is 100% interpretative, its movements synchronizing with a plethora of musical styles in the effort to communicate and transmit a message. A distinct characteristic is the wide use of Multimedia to tag along with the coreography, as videos, images, lighting and props for the background. It is a style of dancing that reaches to express, through the dancer and his (her) body, an idea, a feeling, an emotion, stirring in corporal movements pertaining to the XX and XXI century.

Divided in 3 acts, marvelous costume design, illumination, great posture and extensions, and a sense of grandeur as only Dance can transmit.
The first act, pretty much a Tribal leitmotif, connects us to our bare human nature. 9 dancers on stage (only one male, by the way) take us on a journey to explore rhythms and movements that open our eyes to the marvel of the human expression. (Almost) Like being in a dream, the choreography of all the characters, plunges you into a deep emotional place of peace and tranquility. One has to admire the impressive, yet sober, costume design and team work that is soaked all through the act. Even the hairstyles and lip gloss made sense (one percieves throughout the whole show, but finally notices late in the second act). One is left speechless to the amount of training and concentration required to endure all that dancing and joy one sees in the performers, just to find out that it was waaay from over!
Second act takes us back to nature in its essence, with what (to me) seemed like Mushi: ubiquitous creatures, beings of various shapes and dimensions in touch with the essence of life, far more basic and pure than normal living things. Due to their ephemeral nature most humans are incapable of perceiving Mushi and are oblivious to their existence, but there are a few who possess the ability to see and interact with them. Gliding life forms, dancing souls, playful beings, obviously well comprehended and interpreted by Millennium's director and performers. Joy!
And, as if all that was not yet enough, ebbing and flowing of movements take us from one mood to another, injecting Johan Sebastian Bach into our visual veins for the most physically demanding choreography on the third and final act.
Lasting from 15 - 20 minutes per act, even the transitions seem imposing, in the capable (hands?) bodies of young handsome Guatemalans that bring Interpretative Art to another level. One that I highly recommend getting indulged with!
If you haven't lived the Contemporary Dance experience, I suggest you do it just for fun. I garantee you won't be disappointed.