Inmarcesibles, a choreographic essay developed by Guyphytsy Aldalai and Aura Arreola, delves into the exploration of the profound affection and intimacy shared between two women who have devoted their lives to the art of butoh dance. This piece is scheduled for presentation today, and subsequently on February 17 and 18, at the Dinosaur Forum housed within the Chopo University Museum.
The intertwining of choreographic creation and butoh dance undergoes a tenacious reconfiguration in this piece, wherein the boundaries separating fiction from reality progressively dissolve. The piece encapsulates a radical intimacy that has been delicately woven between two bodies in their constant struggle to maintain balance.
As per the explanation provided by the creators themselves, Inmarcesibles effectively cultivates a landscape where deep affections and the reinvention of kinships find a place to thrive. This piece embraces vulnerability as an aspect of political and aesthetic strength.
In an interview conducted by The Day, Aura Arreola, an interdisciplinary artist, performer and choreographer, mentioned that the piece aims to highlight the emotional bond that exists beyond the normative parameters of emotional and sexual relationships, starting from a personal perspective, and how each individual’s work processes are consequently impacted.
Arreola, a butoh dancer, mentioned that this project was initiated in 2022 with the intention to illustrate that beyond any potential feelings of jealousy, competition or disqualification that might exist between two women, there also exists an underlying sense of admiration and respect for each other’s work. This idea served as the foundation for this choreography.
This piece was born out of an improvisation session we had in Guadalajara, in a place known as El Bosque de la Primavera. Despite the harshness of the landscape, we managed to improvise for three continuous hours. We were accompanied by photographer David Joshua Jennings, and after a thorough analysis of everything, we started working on the choreography. We soon realized that our bodies were conveying the anthropology of an embrace, signifying different ways of holding on,
she explained.
▲ Arreola stated that the project was initiated in 2022 with the main aim of demonstrating that there exists a sense of admiration and respect among women for the work of others.Photo by David Joshue Jennings
According to the choreographer, the movements in this duet are not a mirror image of each other, but instead, they emphasize the difference and make it more noticeable. The choreographic thought process is manifested in the form of an embodied manifesto that strives to create space where it appears to be non-existent, in the brief span of existence and the fleeting nature of pleasures.
Arreola elucidated that the piece is termed a choreographic rehearsal since both she and Guyphytsy Aldalai are focused on contemplating the future and the ever-transforming human body. Both of us have a keen interest in understanding ourselves from the perspective of the body, acknowledging that it is a place of creation; for us, it’s impossible to create finished works
.
The artist further added that Aldalai is primarily involved in the theoretical and practical study of the human body in the context of dance.
Inmarcesibles, featuring sound design by Fernando Vigueras, is slated for presentation today at 8 p.m., and then on Saturday, the 17th at 7 p.m., and Sunday at 6 p.m. in the Dinosaur Forum of the Chopo University Museum (Dr. Enrique González Martínez 10, Santa María la Ribera).
