With ‘Under the Shadow of Dawn’, Ceprodac pays tribute to the universe of Rufino Tamayo

Mexico City. Choreographer Cecilia Lugo, director of the Center for Contemporary Dance Production (Ceprodac), firmly maintains that Contemporary dance can do everything.

This belief will be fully manifested with the premiere of Under the shadow of dawn, with which said body will pay tribute today to the Mexican painter Rufino Tamayo, in the main hall of the Palace of Fine Arts.

The choreographic program is a profound ode to the life and work of the painter of Oaxacan origin, who was born 125 years ago, on August 26, and also celebrates the 90th anniversary of the majestic venue, which has witnessed countless artistic and cultural events throughout its history.Lugo explained in an interview with The Day.

With a long career, the choreographer pointed out that the tribute is inspired by the facets of the artist: his creations, his colors and his life. Six pieces, created by members of the seventh generation of Ceprodac scholarship dancers, explore the interpretations of the Tamayesque universe.

“We immerse ourselves in a sensation of colors and flashes of what Rufino Tamayo was, a fundamental artist in the history of Mexican art. The program alludes to elements as varied as Rufino’s relationship with his wife, Olga Flores Rivas, known as Olga Tamayo; his paintings of watermelons and dogs, as well as his fascination with the cosmos and comets.

Each choreography offers a unique perspective on the painter’s legacy and reflects the struggle of opposites that he captured in his art. The stage is minimalist and austere: we recycled costumes and some musical pieces, but we relied on the creativity and imagination of the team.

The six pieces that articulate Under the shadow of dawn son Origen, by Tomas Reyes (Veracruz); In the shadow of the Moon, by Edy Esquivel (Nuevo Leon); Souls in brotherhood, by Lazaro Sierra (Cuba); Olga, from Aralia Dflon (Veracruz) and Porfirio Perera (Nuevo Leon); Celestial bodies, by Alex Hensa (Mexico City), and The night is nothing but charred sun, by Ana Paula Oropeza (Mexico City), with choreographic interventions by Natali González and Ricardo Villalobos.

Duality and art

For Cecilia Lugo (Tampico, 1955), the life of the human being, and Tamayo’s works are composed of dualism: day and night, woman and man, as well as happiness and sadness..

Specifically, a choreography inspired by Duality, Mural created by Tamayo in 1964 for the lobby of the Jaime Torres Bodet auditorium at the National Museum of Anthropology. The work synthesizes pre-Hispanic thought and Mexican nationalism through the conflict between Quetzalcoatl (The Feathered Serpent) and Tezcatlipoca (The Jaguar). However, although this struggle of opposites is reflected on stage, it is not always explicitly expressed in each piece.Lugo added.

Cuban choreographer Lázaro Sierra returned to oil painting Fraternity to create Souls in brotherhood, in which Aldo Bejarano, Alexandra Elenes, Marco Gomez, Marijosé Muriedas, Porfirio Perera, Diego Rangel, Hayde Valdovinos, Karen Vidals and Donaji Zamora participate.

The painting represents the union of the peoples of the Earth; in my case I performed a kind of ritual, but talking about the people who come carrying things and how they manage to let go of everything. This rebellion causes fire, but the protagonists realize that they are together. That is, in union there is peace.the choreographer said.

Separately, Cecilia Lugo stressed that this dance tribute is an act of profound respect and admiration towards Tamayo.

“For many of the kids, it is their first work. We have been working hard on this project for a year, but with the vision of allowing the members of Ceprodac to explore and present their creative universes.

I hope that the audience will be infected by the enthusiasm and energy of the performers. I would very much like those people who do not know Rufino Tamayo to come and see this cultural and artistic proposal, and then go home to delve deeper into his work. That would make us very satisfied.

The program Under the shadow of dawn There will be a single performance today at 8 p.m. in the main hall of the Palacio de Bellas Artes (Juárez Avenue and Eje Central s/n, Historic Center, Cuauhtémoc Municipality, Mexico City).

Tickets range in price from 80 to 250 pesos and can be purchased at the box office or at Ticketmaster.