By JESSICA NEU
Cuba’s “most sought-after dance company,” the Malpaso Dance Company, returned to the Byham Theater on January 15th, marking their first show in Pittsburgh in almost four years. Established in 2012, Malpaso celebrates Cuban culture, heritage, and artistry. The company features 11 dancers and is led by its three founders: resident choreographer and Artistic Director Osnel Delgado, Executive Director Fernando Saez, and Associate Artistic Director Daile Carrazana.
The house lights grew dim as the show began last night, and a stillness fell over the Byham Theater. The curtain rose to a single male dressed in a plain black t-shirt and shorts. He stood perfectly still, the only movement coming from his gentle breaths. And suddenly, a single leap down stage. No music. The dancer stoically walks off downstage, right, giving way to three female dancers who begin dancing to Waltz, a gentle orchestral arrangement by the Balanescu Quartet. Choreographed by Aszure Barton, The Indomitable Waltz highlights what makes Malpaso unique.
Just as Cuba celebrates a fusion of cultures, Barton fused classical ballet, modern ballet, contemporary, lyrical, and acro styles into the twenty-plus minute piece that showcased all 11 dancers. The dynamic choreography highlighted the dancers’ strength as the movement was often centralized in their core area: they lengthened their bodies across the stage to breath-like pulsations representing life and vitality.
Tempo changes allowed the dancers to accelerate in unison, dance in pairs, and execute lifts and tricks as they sway to the music. But just like the ebb and flow of life, there were moments when the dancers paused and, with a slow leg extension, reminded us all of the importance of taking time to slow down and…breathe. Once we find our breath, the dancers’ pair work represented the desire we feel to connect with others. As dancers gently placed their heads on their partners’ chests, we felt the magnitude of connecting with someone on a physiological level.
The Indomitable Waltz continued to serve as an artistic metaphor for the push and pull of our own lives. Dancers swayed back and forth with contemporary choreography as the musical arrangement pulsed like a metronome. As the music swelled, dancers fell, only to be caught and lifted by another dancer as if they were reaching out for help. Lifts, extensions, and modern ballet choreography showed how fluidly life can change. Almost with a sense of liquidity, we love and hate; someone has control over us, and another can support us, back and forth, on and on, through the chaos, the heartache, and the joy. But then we pause. We are still. We breathe.
After a brief pause, the dancers reset to begin the second number, Why You Follow. Choreographed by Ronald K. Brown, Why You Follow celebrated the multicultural influences that make Cuba thrive. As much as the choreography in The Indomitable Waltz focused on core movement, Why You Follow allowed dancers to widen their turnouts and shake their hips to a compilation of celebratory cultural pieces, including “Look at Africa” by Zap Mama and “En Route to Motherland” by Gordheaven & Juliano. This soothing compilation brought a sense of comfort and ease to the piece. The dancers thrived in Brown’s choreography, which incorporated elements of salsa, samba, and Bhangra, as well astraditional ballet techniques. Lighting designer Clifton Taylor’s fiery red landscape brought the Cuban party to the Byham as this up-tempo number packed decades of history, jubilation, and culture into one electrifying performance.
The third and final number, A Dancing Island, choreographed by Artistic Director Osnel Delgado, was a true tour-de-force of talent and artistry in motion. Fernando Saez notes, “A Dancing Island is a celebration of the dense social dances and musical tradition of Cuba, a journey from rumba to son.” The piece began with an acapella arrangement performed by one of the featured dancers. The stillness that permeated the theater when the show started again consumed the space as a featured dancer sang with pride, and the Malpaso Company delicately enveloped her in graceful movement. Traditional Cuban music by Alejandro Falcon, Ted Nash & Cubadentro Trio followed the a cappella performance transportingaudience members to a vibrant Cuban street. Delgado’s choreography was again a fusion of Latin, Ballroom, Ballet, and African dance that allowed each dancer to become immersed in their heritage. The tempo changes again help personify the storytelling throughout the number. The dancers struggle with relationships – fighting, infidelity, lust, confusion, and love all while executing flawless technique (Dailys Bacallao and Mercedes Piedra, Ballet Masters) and seamless transitions that propel the story forward. The fourth wall breaks as a dancer is seductively lured to the stage. But I was so entranced in the performance that I did not even realize the dancer, who was called to the stage, was sitting directly across the aisle from me. The combination of Latin, Ballroom, Ballet, and African dancing with the delicious horn-driven music arrangements kept us on the streets of Havana until the hip swivel and leg extension.
The party continued to the very end of the curtain call as Malpaso celebrated Cuban life, history, and culture to its fullest. The varied and vibrant performances brought Latin flare that heated up even the coldest of Pittsburgh winters.
TICKETS AND DETAILS
Next up in the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s 2024-25 Pittsburgh Dance Council performance series is BODYTRAFFIC on Saturday, February 22nd, 2025 at the Byham Theater.
Categories: Arts and Ideas, Reviews
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