A journey to the Arizona desert with Momix
Saving the best for last, the sixth Volos International Festival draws to an impressive close at the Volos Municipal Theater with two performances from the sensational Momix dance theater tonight and tomorrow in their latest production, «Opus Cactus.» During the course of its 20-year career the Momix dance theater has performed throughout the world, including Greece several years ago, and in the process has acquired an avid audience, enthralled by the company’s ingenious use of acrobatics in its choreographies, special lighting and other visual effects, and impressive props such as large puppets. The group’s latest production, created by art director Moses Pendleton – a co-founder of the Polibus dance company in 1971 – was presented for the first time in New York last February. Inspired by the Arizona desert, «Opus Cactus» features a special lighting design that creates a desert-like atmosphere, as well as original props and visual tricks. Accompanied by the music of Bach – adapted by Brian Eno – and magical imagery, the show transports the audience into a fantastical world of reptiles in human form, desert birds and flora, and dances with large fans. The lighting for Pendleton’s concept has been provided by Joshua Starbuck, the puppets are designed by Michael Curry, sculptures by Alan Boeding and costumes by Phoebe Kutzin. The dancers, most of whom belong to Momix’s permanent troupe, are Cinthia Quinn, Brian Sanders, Kori Darling, Pi Keohavong, Brian Simerson and Penny Saunders, among others.Momix, tonight and tomorrow at the Melina Mercouri Municipal Theater, Volos, tel (0421) 32.818. Both Kotsiras and Bassis have so far avoided releasing pop material catering to easy-listening audiences, a path already taken by many of their peers and older performers, but would consider taking such a direction should they feel comfortable with the material. «If we’d found something of interest, we wouldn’t have a problem,» Kotsiras said.
