Theatrical Pérez-Salas

Emotions drip from the stage (literally) when it comes to the Tania Pérez-Salas Compañia De Danza. As a choreographer, Pérez-Salas is deeply driven by her passion for literature, visual art, and philosophy, melding that passion to real life experiences allegedly offering a film-like quality that anyone with artistic taste can appreciate.

Her most notable work, The Waters of Forgetfulness, is more like watching a 4D movie. The dancers move through a shallow pool of water on stage with languid movements and hair whips deeply accentuated by the arcs of water spraying from their bodies. If you want the full picture, watch the video. Press from around the world has been raving about this piece calling it "Unbelievable," "Remarkable," and "Ingenious." Some even consider it Mexico's foremost contemporary work.

The dance is based on Ivan Illich's essay, "H2O and the Waters of Forgetfulness," serving as a reflection of water's vital role in life. He wrote:

"Water is deep and shallow, life-giving and murderous... Water remains a chaos until a creative story interprets its seeming equivocation as being the quivering ambiguity of life."

The use of actual water on stage makes the piece all the more magical. A subtle light shines from above, creating a mesmerizing effect that glistens through the water droplets cascading through the air. Even with the special effects, the dancers keep to a very natural state, gliding through the water, washing themselves, and even making love. The sensual nature represents the cleansing and purification by the life-giving water to our souls and bodies alike. The entire concept and theatrical nature of Pérez-Salas' realization has left audiences in awe all throughout the world, and makes its Minnesota debut at the launch of Northrop's dance season on Sept 24 at 8 pm.