DOMA

Since 2020, Carmen Werner, one of Spain's most prominent choreographers, has been maintaining a rigorous schedule with British punctuality, premièring two shows a year. She has been engaged in the field for over seven decades and continues to demonstrate remarkable dedication and enthusiasm for dance. Given the success of Werner's previous offerings, it is logical to anticipate something goof from this new creation.

The announcements of their new works are concise. In the case of the previous year's 1953, she provided the indication that the date of the title was identical to her birth year. In the case of Seguimos Enteras, also from 2023, she advanced the argument that the "inalienable" right to engage in doing the ridiculous should be upheld.

And what about DOMA at this year's Festival de Otoño? The concept of madness is one that is often blurred, particularly in the context of Werner's understanding that there are instances where madness can be viewed as “a form of disconnection”, and that there exists a clear “line” between this state and sanity. “Who is mad and who is sane; who decides this... society?” he asks. The "really crazy people" are those who "don't even care about the limits" set by society, according to the dancer and choreographer.

Werner is joined on stage by four dancers, Raquel Jara, Cristian López, Sebastián Calvo and Alejandro Morata, all members of Provisional Danza, the company founded by the choreographer in 1987 after training in classical and contemporary dance in Madrid, Barcelona and London. This is the culmination of a career that has been recognised with the most important prizes awarded by Spain to its best creators, such as the Gold Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts in 2020, the National Dance Prize in 2007 and the Culture Prize of the Dance Section of the Community of Madrid in 2000.

Her extensive experience has resulted in the creation of highly sophisticated choreographic works, featuring accomplished casts that she directs with remarkable skill. She demonstrates an exceptional ability to combine excellence in choral movement, voice, and object manipulation.

In her work, as another leading choreographer, Daniel Abreu, explains, there always seems to be a difference in role between men and women, a need to be accompanied, and in the background characters who seem to observe each other as if they were objects, but who speak of what is human with assertiveness and honesty.

Abreu notes that the clarity and precision of his technical language contribute to the effectiveness of his choreography. By distilling complex concepts into simple forms, he can evoke a sense of nostalgia and transport his audience to a specific point in time. It is as if Carmen Werner is telling a part of what happened, but she is so skilful that we can see what she does not show and make it our own.