The name is given in translation as ‘To Undo The Face’ in this digital live dance-theatre piece, designed for Zoom webinar and viewed on demand at C arts digital as part of the Edinburgh Fringe.
Pe Mellado and CIEC Dance Company in Chile are responsible for the creation of Deshacer el Rostro. Conceived and developed during the 2020 global lockdown, the piece is performed directly from the artists’ homes.
Can meaningful encounters be developed at a distance? The inspiration for Deshacer el Rostro comes from the French philosopher Gilles Deleuze’s idea of ‘undoing the face’ as a gesture toward imagining other possible worlds.
Interpreted by Marcela Retamales, Camila Jiménez, Macarena Pastor, Cristián Hormazábal, Vannia Villagrán, MatÃas Carvajal, Hugo Castillo, Manuela Perea and Verónica Canales, the performance uses music, movement, the body, colour, and connection.
I have to focus on how this multimedia fusion made me feel. The eye, the mouth, the hands, the feet, the hair. Each dancer allows their own moment of focus within their separate window, but this is a piece where everyone is aware of their space and place in the show.
Paulina Mellado directs the show, with an eye to what will reach a viewing audience set aside from the performers. It is a groundbreaking piece of digital theatre, an intimate art installation, a delicate exploration of movement.
The music by José Miguel Miranda is both upbeat and melancholy across the half hour show. Visual Artist Nury González curates a place for play and exploration.
The existence of Deshacer el Rostro reminds us that whenever we are apart, we can still be together, whether in spirit or by the utilisation of touch.
We may recall during the pandemic we were taught to hold our own hands to evade loneliness, to stretch our capability for balance and bias.
Deshacer el Rostro is a beautiful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit. It is colourful, positive, and comforting.
4 stars.
Deshacer el Rostro was viewed on the C arts digital platform during Edinburgh Fringe.