Choreographed by Marcos Morau
La Veronal
“Pasionaria” transports its audiences into a postapocalyptic lunarscape. Eight dancers move across the stage, yet their movements are oddly out of joint. They appear uncanny, like dolls or robots; they do not act but merely react. They lack “pasión,” the passion and suffering that defines humanity. The Catalan dance company La Veronal is famous for its narrative force and interdisciplinary approach. In their latest production “Pasionaria,” choreographer Marcos Morau has created a unique dystopian world that is completely foreign yet eerily familiar. This sterile universe, which is reminiscent of the films sets of Stanley Kubrick or Lars von Trier, is inhabited by humanoid beings that are devoid of passion and empathy. The jerky, mechanical movements are disconcerting, but they develop their own inescapable pull. Despite its alienating potential, we recognize our own possible future in Morau’s bleak futuristic vision: if we continue down the destructive path set for our current society, we, too, might end up like these unfeeling human husks. Ultimately, “Pasionaria” rejects moral cowardice and stunted emotions in favor of more passion and vulnerability in our lives.