Arts

“Resonancias” by Jose Luis Rodriguez opens at South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center

FUNDarte and South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center (SMDCAC) present flamenco guitarist and composer Jose Luis Rodriguez’s “Resonancias” as part of the SMDCAC’s Cabaret Series on Saturday, July 19th at 8:30 p.m. and Sunday, July 20th at 3:30 p.m.

Jose Luis Rodriguez. Photo by Elvis Suarez of Glassworks Media

“Resonancias” is an interdisciplinary and collaborative performance that frames Rodriguez’s guitar with images and staging by Alexey Taran and Carla Forte, choreography by Niurca Marquez, Alex Jordan on second guitar and live electronic soundscapes by Gustavo Matamoros.

“I see the concertist from his/her chair or ‘throne’ in the distance; always alone in his/her own little world,” says Jose Luis Rodriguez. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to break free from without losing my identity. In many ways, ‘Resonancias’ eliminates this distance and brings the audience into the scene while the music roams between thoughts, unsettling emotions, imagined scenes, verses, dreams.”

Jose Luis Rodriguez. Photo by Elvis Suarez of Glassworks Media.

Jose Luis Rodriguez. Photo by Elvis Suarez of Glassworks Media

“Resonancias” resonates from experiences recreated from family histories. Places are give color and form and people are given movement. “It is an emotional journey through the guitar that visits the experiences I did not live in an attempt to understand the complexities of the human mind,” says Jose Luis Rodriguez. “ A space for reflection where the sounds of the guitar travel through the echoes of the family legacy embedded in memory.”

Choreography by Niurca Marquez fleshes out the story with imagined and real characters that live within this emotional musical reality created by Rodriguez. The complexity of the story is further emphasized by the complexity of the performance where women jump from screen to stage, transition from flamenco to contemporary dance, while physical theater transforms into performance art.

Niurca Marquez. Photo by Elvis Suarez of Glassworks Media.

Niurca Marquez. Photo by Elvis Suarez of Glassworks Media

“I get to dance in my underwear, sing in French and dance a Tarantos. And that’s just what happens on stage,” says dancer and choreographer Niurca Marquez. “The idea of using the dance as content and not form, as one of many elements to tell a story is not new in our collaborative work, but in ‘Resonancias,’ I have had the opportunity to develop characters using codes from a variety of artistic genres in an almost minimalist manner.”

“Resonancias” by Jose Luis Rodriguez runs from Saturday, July 19th at 8:30 p.m. and Sunday, July 20th at 3:30 p.m. at the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center, 10950 SW 211th St., Miami. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door ($5 off for seniors and students with ID), and can be purchased through www.smdcac.org or by phone 786-573-5300. A limited number of $50 VIP tickets are available; VIP tickets include wine or Champagne and preferred seats. For more information, visit www.fundarte.us or email [email protected].