Bothanica by Theo

Accompanied by our friends Fermin and Rebecca, Kate and I made our first venture to a Spanish Theatre on Friday night when we headed to Teatro del canal to see Bothanica, a contemporary dance spectacular by the American company Momix choreographed by Moses Pendleton. I was slightly feeling the pressure as the show had been my idea and tickets were really pricey - €35 - so I was really hoping it would be good!


It was. The two-hour show, presented in two acts, had no real plot as such, but rather focused around themes of evolution and nature but was none the less enthralling, beautiful, emotive and occasionally humorous. Prancing centaurs, whirling jellyfish, dinosaur puppets, living rocks, amorous trees and macho bees that looked like Brian Blessed's hawkmen out of Flash Gordon were among the characters. Particularly effective I felt was the opening scene in which a twirling anemone tempted dancers out from the ocean sands to taste its poison fruit - the Garden of Eden on the sea floor. Some scenarios were more or less straightforward - a woman dancing on a mirror a metaphor for asexual reproduction - others more complex (what the hell was going on with the two lovers being attacked by rocks?) but they were always engaging. The use of often oversized props - massive flags, huge snail shells - and clever costumes added another spectacular element to the show. We'd definitely recommend it, even if the price is a bit steep.


(not my photos by the way!!)