Sociology, anthropology and movement combine in a production dedicated to the relationship between the body and power, based on the postures of yoga, a powerful industry that also symbolises the spirituality of our times.
A couple of years ago, the renowned European dance network and annual festival organiser, Aerowaves, selected Likes, a Núria Guiu creation that finally gave recognition here to this dancer and choreographer with a long career behind her. In Likes, which was seen all over Europe, she talked about social media and the value of the popular “likes”, taking a fresh and exciting look at the digital era we live in. She took the popular dance cover videos, very common on YouTube, as her starting point, along with tutorials on yoga techniques. In her new work, Spiritual Boyfriends, Núria Guiu takes another look at yoga and turns it into the subject of a documentary and iconographic research project on the creation of the postures we know in the West and how they impose power roles, rules and structures on our bodies. It’s about how a practice so closely linked to our inner, spiritual world has become a big industry and in what way today new digital technologies enable the continued dissemination of this hybrid of Indian culture and physical disciplines that originated in the West. Because these days, it plays an important role in constructing our bodies, and, especially, in constructing the image we project onto them. Likewise, it influences our private imaginary in relation to spirituality or the amorous relationships we maintain.
Núria Guiu is a dancer and choreographer from the Institute de Teatre who was part of IT Dansa but later worked with international companies of the standing of Cullberg Ballet, the Batsheva Dance Company, Jasmin Vardimon Company, La Veronal and the Compagnie Gisèle Vienne She has also worked on creating her own shows, such as La muda and Portal, a solo she created with Norwegian musician Gisle Martens Meyer.
A 2020 Barcelona Grec Festival, La Briqueterie (Paris) and Núria Guiu Sagarra co-production.
This show has done residencies at Sala Hiroshima (Barcelona), La Caldera Les Corts (Barcelona), Graner - Dance and live arts creation centre, Cra’p (Mollet del Vallès) La Briqueterie (Paris).
Acknowledgements: Claudia Mirambell, Alicia Kopf, Telemann Rec., Carles Decors, Claudia Brufau, Søren Evinson
Directed, choreographed and performed by: Núria Guiu Sagarra Artistic support: Esther Freixa, Sònia Gómez Dramaturgical advice: Lluc Ubach
Scenography design and costume advice: Lola Belles Photography and video: Alice Brazzit Lighting design: Joana Serra Technician: Sergio Roca Production and manager: Fani Benages
