PHOTOSYNTH FRIDAYS 21ST CENTURY DANCE: GRUPO CORPO, “PARABELO”  

The dancers in Grupo Corpo’s “Parabelo,” move as a singular organism. Their tightly grouped formation becomes a perfect red cell, performing its tasks methodically to the steady rhythm that mirrors the ticking of a clock, or the beating of a heart. And yet within this methodical movement, there remains a sensuality that emanates from it; the ripple of muscle, the slow circular motion of the hips, a leg thrust in the air.

The last few seconds of “Parabelo,” however, are the most revealing. The dancers begin to move off stage as a group, and suddenly half of them stand up and walk the opposite way, cementing the evolution of the cell into a fully evolved human being. And that’s the beauty of this piece: It brings attention to the subtle internal rhythms and movements of the body that enable a person to perform a task as spectacular as dancing.

Andrea Diaz for PhotoSynth