Contemporanis a la Barceloneta, featuring ‘SITz’ by Ángela Lamprianidou

Though each of the seventy some neighborhoods of Barcelona has one, the civic centers of our fair city may not be getting the foot traffic they warrant. These places of culture boast not only theater, dance and art exhibitions, but myriad classes (dance, art, cooking, whathaveyou), concerts, free WiFi and, quite often, sweet little cafés.

Barcelona’s lovers of contemporary dance are well advised to give the Barceloneta Civic Center a whirl. With prices seemingly capped at €2,75 – and quite often free – the dance productions in our city’s little beach community are not just economically feasible, but an absolute steal.

Let not a low price disparage quality: I saw an exciting and inventive dance entitled ‘SITz’ on Thursday, April 29. This work, which fuzzed the line between performance art and contemporary dance, featured three dancers, enacting the learning of movement. Ángela Lamprianidou’s choreography channeled a proto-human, or perhaps post-human, world, where upright movement was an unlearned or forgotten skill. They stumbled to stand, combined their bodies to caterpillar walk, and at times moved like high functioning robots. Though abstract and unconventional, the movements were, for the most part, articulate and skillfully executed by SITz’s dancers (Julia Koch, Mireia de Querol and Lamprianidou). The dance was reinforced by a textured soundscape (composed by P. Rose and C. Galle of Institut Fàtima) which moved from a subtle static to literally banging beats to an over-the-top loud waltz.

SITz asserts a very local origin, conceived by the artists during a dance residency at the civic center. The Barceloneta Civic Center hosts several dancers a year in its Residències de Dansa program, giving them an opportunity to use the ample dance space to invent, refine and actualize a production. The residency program also brings Barcelona an unpredictable program of dance. Take a look at the center’s website for the next round of performances.

By Sara Blaylock.

Barceloneta Civic Center websites:
www.civicbarceloneta.com
www.ccbarceloneta.blogspot.com

Dancers interested in the Residències de Dansa at the civic center should email dansa@civicbarceloneta.com for details. Applications for this round will be accepted through June 30.

Ángela Lamprianidou’s dance SITz will be performed at Mercat de les Flors May 9th at 9:30pm. Visit her website for more details.