OtroLado Dance Company

OtroLado Dance Company: Paradox & Ritual Garden

They show "the other side", as their name suggests: the OtroLado company from Havana, founded in 2018, loves dramatic dance, a shade between classical ballet and folkloric avant-garde that is still unusual for Cuba. However, head choreographer Norge Cedeño does not necessarily base his premieres on concrete stories, but rather on ideas that are developed and told with the bodies; like all Cuban dancers, his performers have mastered all classical and modern styles. Cedeño was one of the outstanding soloists of Danza Contemporánea de Cuba, Cuba's famous contemporary ensemble. He is currently being discovered as a choreographer for Europe by companies such as Aterballetto, Acosta Danza and the Birmingham Royal Ballet, and is known at Colours from "Meet the Talents".

His piece "Paradox" is a dark chamber play about a woman caught between two men - or two memories? In stormy, highly emotional lifts, Cedeño shows his protagonist's love for two mysteriously contradictory shadows. "Ritual Garden" evokes female self-discovery in the warm colors of the Orient: an object in the sand triggers an ancient ritual, exposing the animalistic being before a woman discovers the light within herself. OtroLado descends into the depths of the soul solely through danced images, exciting music, sophisticated lighting and exciting, expressive performers.

The dancers of the OtroLado Dance Company were completely mesmerizing with their lyrical movements and haunting presence.
Rachael F. Goldberg, Broadway World

The more I see of OtroLado's work, the more they surprise and delight me. They immerse us in a journey full of surprises and raw beauty that makes you forget everything else.
Noel Bonilla Chongo, Cubarte

His ability to shake up the more or less established vocabulary in order to isolate sequences and dynamics that may seem laborious at first glance but fit perfectly into the choreographer's general plan is remarkable. The path to the climax, the coda, proves to be fast, spectacular and unsettling.
Yuris Nórido, La Jiribilla

The works created by dancer Norge Cedeño are a marvel of physical expression. His perfectly synchronized dynamics are based on the expressive power of music full of dissonance, minimalist costumes, captivating visuals and the powerful execution of the dancers.
Ana León, Cubanet

With Cedeño you are "strapped" to the present in this big caravan we call life. His works of artisanal and detailed beauty remind us of this, with their excellent interpretations and performers.
Mercedes Borges Bartutis, CubaEscena