Biome: Dancing to the Rhythm of Nature
December 4, 2007
By: Verónica Vásquez

*****

If we could use a single word to describe the show “Biome”, enjoyed by hundreds of Salvadorans on November 10, we would choose “tribute”.  Biome is a tribute to nature, as it was evident by the performance of the sensual rain dance and the violent simian dance which captivated the audience. But it was also a tribute to movement, instinct, beauty, dance, the public, and art.

Six dancers of the San Francisco dance company, CAPACITOR, performed at La Gran Vía and offered the world premiere of this fusion of visual effects, contemporary and vertical dance. The show was produced by Campos Art Group and partially sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in El Salvador.

The message of environmental preservation was clear.  The stage became the window to the tropical forest, and the dancers were transformed into water, light, trees, ants, birds, primates and more.  The ensemble was the result of the creative effort of 20 artists and aimed to show the conections shared by all living organisms in nature, including humans.

The director of the company, Jodi Lomask, talked about the need to create conscientiousness for the preservation of nature, a responsibility that she assumed as artist by creating this show: “We should treat the environment with respect and understand that we must not interrupt the natural cycles and to promote a greater comprehension of nature”, she explained.

During the show many wondered aloud and discussed what the show’s images were representing:  birds? flowers? insects? a seed trapped in the soil waiting to be born? Whatever the answer –each person in the audience could have his/her own—Biome was able to imprint images in the minds of the audience and to remind us how much we need nature.