When you walk into artist Pablo Cano’s Red Velvet Theater in Little Havana, you are greeted by the most elegant of ladies — Marie Antoinette herself. The larger-than-life marionette welcomes you with her tightly corseted waist, lifted bosom and fine European lips.
Imaginarium Life is a complex, multi-media performance piece created by the brilliant dark angels at Bistoury Physical Theatre, Alexey Taran and Carla Forte.
The performance documents -- through dance theater, sound and gorgeous cinematography -- the spiraling, chaotic world of an artist whose obsession with himself and his own imaginary world of self-inflicted wounds destroys him and the person he loves.
Venus Rising performs “Rhythms of Diversity,” mixing in world fusion into its traditional West African dance and drum work, with an emphasis on the female role, form and movement; the Children of Kuumba join in for the South African boot dance.
If audiences feel empowered after a Venus Rising performance, then members of this globally-inspired group have accomplished their mission.
“We want to uplift and inspire,” says Founding Director Zeva Soroker, who started the all-female dance and drum group in 2003. “Music is an amazing thing,” she adds. “It helps with harmonizing and healing.”
