Haydn and Lorca Converge in Opera Atelier’s ‘THE NIGHT AND THE MOON’

Written By Miguel Sirgado for ARTBURST MIAMI

The collision of classical music—especially opera—and contemporary dance is a spark that has ignited some of the most innovative and boundary-pushing performances in modern art. This creative interplay thrives in the realm of dance-theater, where the precise discipline of movement meets the raw, evocative power of storytelling. Visionaries like Pina Bausch revolutionized this fusion, weaving intricate human emotions into physical expressions that deeply resonate.

Her groundbreaking work continues to inspire iconic companies such as Mark Morris Dance Group, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Today, the dynamic relationship between opera and dance-theater remains a fertile ground for experimentation, delivering performances that captivate the eye and stir the soul.

This vision comes to life in “The Night and The Moon,” the latest production by The Opera Atelier (TOA), a Miami-based organization that has spent years redefining opera with innovative, performances and educational programs designed for children and youth with an interest in the genre. By integrating other artistic disciplines, TOA aims to capture the attention of younger audiences, many of whom may not yet be familiar with the complexity and grandeur of traditional opera.

“The Night and The Moon” is an ambitious double-feature program that brings opera and contemporary dance together on a single stage, fostering a creative dialogue between these two art forms. Running just 75 minutes, the performance includes Haydn’s “Ariadna in Naxos,” featuring mezzo-soprano Patricia Arcadí and pianist Daniel Daroca. The second half of the program, which lends its name to the event, showcases a choreographic work inspired by Federico García Lorca’s “Romancero Gitano.” This segment merges spoken word and movement, performed by Spanish artists Carmen Werner and Leyson Ponce, both renowned figures in contemporary dance and choreography.

The performances are Saturday, Dec. 14 and Sunday, Dec. 15 in two iconic Miami venues: the Miami Beach Community Church and the Sanctuary of the Arts in Coral Gables.

“We launched TOA here in Miami in 2012 with the goal of deconstructing opera’s complex artistic language and incorporating elements like contemporary dance, psychoanalysis, and even mathematics,” explains Daroca, the company’s musical director. “The idea is to experiment and enrich the experience of opera by offering fresh perspectives, even beyond traditional opera venues.”

TOA’s executive director, Jaqueline Solórzano, highlights that declining opera audiences have become a global challenge, affecting not only large, well-established companies with significant resources and prestige but also medium- and small-scale organizations.

“Our drive has been to stage classical opera, integrating elements that resonate with today’s society, all while preserving the core essence of opera,” says Solórzano.

This vision has led this group of opera enthusiasts to also explore unconventional venues outside the traditional performance circuit. Their productions have been staged in various public spaces, clubs, community centers, churches and in “la Sala Santa Cecilia,” a hidden gem inside the Manuel Artime Theater, located in the heart of Little Havana.

The company’s repertoire also reflects its innovative approach, with productions such as “Homage to Maria Callas,” “Frau Haydn in Trouble” and “Don Pasquale 2.0.” Future projects include proposals such as “Recuerdos de la Alhambra,” “Teresa Carreño: The Valkyrie of the Piano” and other interesting creations that seek to keep opera relevant and accessible.

Another point for the organization is how they seamlessly blend international talent with local artistry, as seen in its current production, where Spanish choreographers and dancers share the stage with singers and musicians.

“Patricia Arcadi is a local talent, as is Daniel Daroca, who has Cuban, American, and Italian roots. Around 90 percent of the artists we work with are local, with only 10 percent coming from abroad,” says Xiomara Ponce, the company’s production director.

Its presentations are divided into two annual seasons, generally unified by a central theme that guides each program. For the 2024-2025 season, the chosen theme is “Spain, My Love,” a tribute to the richness and exuberance of Hispanic American culture. “We believe it is important to highlight the creativity of Spanish and Hispanic American artists. For example, we want to reconnect the public with the relationships between Giacomo Rossini, Mercedes Jaruco and the García family, as well as their link to the Countess of Merlin, key figures in the development of the bel canto style,” explains Jorge Arcila, artistic director of the company.

According to Arcila, each season’s events connect like an Ariadne’s thread, creating a fluid path in which one proposal leads to the next. “This is not the first time we explore fusions, but we always try to make the transitions as organically as possible. Those ‘seams’ must be invisible so as not to interrupt the experience or distract the viewer,” he assures.

Arcila also reflects on the current challenges of opera. “Today, we seem to have lost some patience as an audience. Most are no longer willing to stay two, three or four hours watching an opera. That’s why we want to be concise and maintain artistic coherence from beginning to end, with no breaks that might turn off the viewer. We are here to make the audience fall in love with opera again,” he says.

This sense of fluidity is central to TOA’s artistic approach, particularly in its efforts to merge opera and dance-theater. “My training as a choreographer at Pina Bausch’s school in Germany deeply emphasized the importance of organic transitions within choreography,” explains Ponce. “Carmen Werner, a pioneer of dance-theater in Spain, and I share an artistic language that seamlessly integrates both disciplines. “In ‘La Noche y La Luna,’ we do not aim to literally depict Lorca’s texts but rather to interpret his metaphors and poetic imagery. These are transformed into theatrical actions where the body takes center stage, staying true to the principles of dance-theater.”

The seasoned dancer and choreographer emphasized the pivotal role of the mezzo-soprano in the production. “Her body is fundamental—it serves as the unifying element that anchors and connects the entire performance. Carmen and I have drawn inspiration from the rich poetic landscape and the profound metaphorical layers within Lorca’s text. This process could be described as a hermeneutic endeavor, though it is interpreted and expressed through the language of movement. This conceptual framework has been our foundation and starting point,” he elaborates.

This creative process involves intense teamwork, experimenting with specific atmospheres and developing movement structures and phrases that are then reviewed and adjusted to shape the choreographic discourse.

“Music is also a character in this show. Each scene might seem like a potpourri of genres and styles, but they are carefully linked by a theatrical and performative thread that gives meaning to the work,” adds Ponce. “This show is like a canvas, and the viewer, as Pina Bausch used to say, will construct his or her own fable from the experience.”

WHAT: The Opera Atelier presents “The Night and the Moon: Opera Meets Dance”

WHEN AND WHERE: 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, Miami Beach Community Church, 1620 Drexel Ave, Miami Beach. 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15, Sanctuary of the Arts, 410 Andalusia Ave, Coral Gables.

COST: $15, $25, $35.

INFORMATION: 786-560-6845 or  theoperaatelier.org

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