The Dias da Dança Festival reaches its second week with an oriental influence. Atsumori was a young Japanese samurai from the Heian period, famous for his tragic story of life and death. The young warrior became known for his ability to dance and music, in addition to his martial skills.
His premature death during the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani, in 1184, at the age of 16, inspired several literary and dramatic works, including Zeami Motokiyo’s famous “Atsumori”, a Noh theater play. His story is often portrayed as a symbol of the ephemerality of life and the tragedies of war.
This was the narrative that convinced Catarina Miranda, one of the most prominent choreographers of her generation, to create the play of the same name, which premieres this Tuesday, at 9 pm, at Teatro do Campo Alegre, in Porto.
To this influence he added “the red room of Twin Peaks to unfold reality”. A way of creating a circular time with memories of circular, social and military constructions.
All the imagery and movement are saturated, like a fireworks display where you don’t know where to look given the abundance of details it offers. A debut to charge the senses and scare away death.
