PyA’s artistic director/choreographer, Elba Hevia y Vaca invites you to her new work Cosas de Mujeres (Things of Women). Set against the large scale paintings of noted Lithuanian design artists Ray Bartkus in the unique landscape of Drexel’s Pearlstein Gallery, this site-specific work explores the possibilities of some of the many feminine objects that are widely used in the Flamenco language manton (shawl), abanico (fan), and bata de cola (long train) and what they mean for contemporary women. How do these objects allow us to explore femininity? Is there room for such femininity in our culture? What does the world see when we embrace that part of ourselves? This work also continues a conversation between post modern and Flamenco with modern dance artist KC Chun-Manning of Flesh Blood, adding a layer of contemporary texture and a fresh look at femininity and what it means for women.

Spanning  pivotal  periods  throughout  women’s  history,  “1096”  is  a  collaborative  work  that ultimately creates a unique dialogue between two diverse dance languages.  At its heart, it is  an  exploratory  and  feminist  conversation  between  flamenco  artist  Elba  Hevia  y  Vaca  of  Pasion  y  Arte  and  modern  dance  artist  KC  Chun-Manning,  of  Fresh  Blood,  and  seeks  to understand from an artistic and somatic perspective where their two languages meet–and what might be said. The piece not only engages the traditions of two distinct dance forms, but it plays within the conceptual landscape of what we carry over time, treating the body as a time capsule; or, a “body archive.”

This piece enters into the inner world of women as they experience the phases of mourning surrounding the death of a shared loved one. Each dancer represents the many phases of mourning such as anger, sadness, rejection, nostalgia and denial. Through the traditions of flamenco and Afro-Cuban music, this work expresses the modern, changing face of Flamenco.

This piece deconstructs stereotypical impressions of three different historic-religious female archetypes. A journey that explores the boundaries of the flamenco tradition through movement and non-traditional flamenco music. The visual landscape incorporates original footage of multiple close-up images of the three women dancing. This set invites the viewer into the intimate space of each woman and creates a dialogue with the viewer. The women dance in dialogue with the projected versions of themselves and with each other, moving in and out of each other’s mirrors, space, and time.

Conceptually, this trilogy explores the female psyche through our experience of dance.

It represents the woman’s journey:

Part I – Loss of Innocence-Awareness
Part II – Duality-Masculinity
Part III – Evolution-Woman

Each section of the trilogy has a theme and consequent choice of choreography, cast, music, video set, and costume.  This piece is firmly rooted in flamenco traditions, but introduces multi-disciplinary elements through various musical genres, cross-disciplinary choreography, and video images that create a visual landscape and set.

“The Body Remembers” features six female dancers of multi-cultural and multi-generational backgrounds who use the language of flamenco to investigate the shared collective experience stored in their bodies as historical memories. Choreographically, this work explores Hevia y Vaca’s continued interest in using contemporary forms of dance along with traditional flamenco styles.

Rooted in the flamenco art form’s cante (deep song), toque (guitar), and baile (dance), this work nevertheless challenges tradition through its choreography and staging. It is a thorough exploration of women’s differences and how these differences have the ability to unite rather than divide. Its choreography explores a new vocabulary by using rigid, primal, instinctual references and an aggressive demeanor, which creates an uncharacteristic aesthetic for women in flamenco. This collaboration with artist Adál Maldonado incorporated a visual landscape for this work that further expands the environment.