Winter in Buenos Aires

I knew that it was cold in Buenos Aires, but I wasn’t prepared for the reality of it.  As I got off of the plane, the draft of air was startling.  The cold was a shock to my system and mood after the gorgeous weather in Minneapolis and made it more difficult to adapt to the return.  It was a dismal rainy day when I arrived that just chilled you to the bone.  As I was in the taxi from the airport (with my regular driver this time – no risking my life twice), I watched the people waiting for their bus in heavy down jackets and thick wool sweaters.  I tried to remind myself that Minneapolis was a vacation and that I was lucky to miss the worst of the winter in BA.  But the reports of an abnormal Antarctic cold snap didn’t bring encouragement.  Entering my room was like walking into an ice box.  I cranked the heat up, and after unpacking, threw on my blanket of a poncho and curled up under the covers. I determined that I just had to take this time of hibernation to be productive.

Having thawed out, I headed to Teatro Beckett a few blocks from my house for the first segment of Buenos Aires En Danza.  It’s a month-long exposition of various contemporary choreographers and dancers, as well as workshops and discussions.  The show that I saw was a fantastic sampling of three different choreographers with very unique concepts.  The first, “Linde,” was more of improvisation and contact and the concept was ingenious.  They used large rolls of cardboard to form a border and a maze to represent camera film.  The dancers went running and jumping in and out of the constructed walls – it was exceptional, and the athleticism of the dancers was impressive.

the "film"

the border being constructed

the maze being constructed

all of it being destructed

The second number, “Hábito de Chica,” was a theatrical portrayal of two women in the Buenos Aires of the 1940s.  They did an exemplar job of illustrating the strength of the women in that time, while also adding humor and the close bond between two friends – all through the dance.

The third, “Ártica,” was a butoh piece accompanied by a woman on a string instrument.  The dancer executed the story of a pilot stranded in the Arctic and the transformation of being frozen to warming up with the change of season.