Spanish Federation of Dance Companies Network
The first translation of the Bible into Spanish was carried out in San Isidoro del Campo (Santiponce, Seville) by monks who worked in secret to avoid any accusations of heresy by the Inquisition. Known as the Biblia del Oso, it contains one of the most carnal and sensual versions of “El Cantar de los cantares”, an exaltation of love, full of arousing images and sensory references which were very much at odds with the life of simplicity and piety of those who carried out the translation.
“El lirio entre las espinas” is based on this historic work and transforms some of the original verses into celebratory songs and dances which reflect the original purpose of the exaltation itself. Using music, song and dance (perhaps the art forms which connect most directly with the emotions) our aim is to create a personal language, which focuses on the body, sensuality and the senses in general as a channel for understanding, but one which also speaks of the outer shell which all individuals create, as Bill Viola says, in order to , “cope with one of the most delicate and emotional states which exist: that of surrendering to an absolute, devastating love, whether it is the excitement and innocence of teenage love or the broader understanding of a greater love as a fundamental principle of existence, which we comprehend in later life and has been described by saints and mystics from every culture throughout history”.
Gratefulness María Martínez Cabeza de Vaca ,Jose María Sánchez Rey, Vicky Guzmán, Juan Antonio Maesso , Rui Horta, La Suite, Laura Lizcano y Paco Lamato, Happy Records, Happy Place and the staff of Monasterio de San Isidoro , specials thanks to Francisco García
This is a production for Itálica International dance festival.
Guillermo Weickert
Having trained as an actor at the Seville Theatre Institute (CAT) and as a dancer at the Andalusian Dance Centre (CAD) and the Creative Choreographic Workshops in Seville, the choreographer, Guillermo Weickert (born in Huelva in 1974) has spent more than ten years developing his career as a director with an approach which combines his passion for investigation, his interest in the fusion of languages and his desire to work with artists from a range of disciplines, such as Vitor Joaquim , Marc Rees, María Cabeza de Vaca, Lía, Jose María Sánchez Rey, etc.
In 2007 he linked his creative talents to EL Mandaito, a well-known production company, with considerable experience and an enviable track record, to form the Guillermo Weickert Company. The result of this collaboration can be seen in a number of ambitious productions, which have been acclaimed by critics and public alike, and include works such as “Material Inflamable ”, “Sorrow”, “Días ◊ Pasan ◊ Cosas”, “Contra Ruidos y Vibraciones”, “Go With The Flow” and “Life is not…”. The company has performed in a number of festivals and national and international dance events including Tanec Prague, Escena Contemporánea, the Festival de Otoño in Madrid, Grec in Barcelona, Box Nova in the Belém Cultural Centre in Lisbon, etc. and has won awards from the Andalusian Professional Dance Association as well as the Maximino de Honor.
Vitor Joaquim
“Joaquim is a key figure in Portuguese electronic music, as well as being heavily involved in a number of cross-media activities (film, visual arts, dance, etc)”Laptop experimentalist, sound and visual artist, teacher, web activist. Graduated in Sound and Film Directing.
He started performing music and working with contemporary dance by the mid 80’s. Since then, he has created extensively for dance, theater, video, installations and cross media platforms. Collaborations with collectives and creators such as Mark Haim, Coogan Dancers, Vera Mantero, Errequeerre,Paulo Ribeiro, Annabelle Bonnery, Mouvoir – Stephanie Thiersch, La Macana, Guillermo Weickert and Rui Horta. With Rui Horta he created the music for LP and the widely acclaimed and prized Pixel, among other works. With the Spanish choreographer Guillermo Weickert.
Over the years, on most of his solo acts, Joaquim opted to play or in total darkness, as a way to increase the sense of sound, or with visual artists such as Lia, Hugo Olim, André Sier, Pedro Maia, Carsten Goertz, Laetitia Moraes and Thr3hold.
Even though he loves to play solo, it’s in the electronic real time collaborations and live sampling that Joaquim is been mostly involved in the last decade while playing live and touring all over Europe, in music and dance performances at festivals such Simultaneously to his own artistic work on sound and music, he directed a few pieces in contemporary performance, video art and video mapping, and has been invited to advise programmers and curators in several festivals and events in Europe. From 2000 to 2009, he produced his own festival EME, an event dedicated to experimental arts and non-standard music.
At the moment, he is a researcher in computer music at Citar the Research Center for Science and Technology in Art at UCP, Porto, where he is also teaching.
Theatre and costome
The metaphor of armour has defined all the stage costumes designed by Patricia Buffuna. She uses materials which are highly emblematic of our culture: dresses made of straw, cowbells, wild goats and the horses of the picadors, and even the mules which pull the dead bulls out of the ring. Rather than simply producing typical costumes, the concept has been based on the creation of theatrical constructions which interact with the actors, limiting and complicating their movements so as to emphasize the concept of castration which we frequently impose on ourselves. There is also a focus on the archetypes of lovers who behave idiotically or those who are considered to be mad because they don’t adhere to society’s norms.
Patricia Buffuna
After graduating in History of Art at the University of Seville, Patricia Buffuna went to London in 1994 and took a diploma at the London College of Fashion, specialising in headwear. Throughout this time she has also continued to perform in various Contemporary Dance companies such as La Imperdible and Manuela Nogales… In 2014 she received the PAD award for wardrobe design for “El lirio entre espinas” by Guillermo Weickert. In 2015 she received the Andalusian “Yo soy moda” prize for Fashion Accessories.
Credits and datasheet Premiered: 06/07/2013 / Available
Choreographer & Director ] Guillermo Weickert Performers and creative process
Iris Heitzinger
Natalia Jimenez
Sandro Pivotti
Composition and singers – Live music
“Niño de Elche” Charo Martín
Musical composition Vitor Joaquim
Lighting design Benito Jimenez
Custome design Patricia Buffuna
Photography Oscar Romero
Guillermo Weickert photo Claudia Solano Watson
Production & Distribution El Mandaito Producciones
In collaboration with Espaco do Tempo & Alanis de la Sierra
