BLIND, Duda Paiva (NL)

Blind

In this new solo work renowned dancer/puppeteer Duda Paiva draws on his childhood, during which he suffered an illness that blistered his body and left him temporarily blind. His surreal path to healing involved both shamanic and western medicine. BLIND transforms this experience into a metaphor about disability, rejection, and resolution. Often interacting with the audience, it is funny as well as moving. Never didactic, it finds the political through intimacy, woven into a rich theatrical tapestry of dance, puppetry, adaptations of Yoruba songs from a unique Afro-Brazilian subculture, and driving forces of sound and light.

Press:

“In Blind Duda Paiva dances with his demons…The man might have been distorted, repulsive – but he is not. When he dances, he looks more like an asymmetrical Hieronymus Bosch…powerful choreography and direction…strongly supported by soundscape and decor… beautiful puppets from grotesquely realistic to almost abstract…they remind you of portraits by Marlene Dumas.” ****theaterkrant

Concept Duda Paiva, Nancy Black

Direction Nancy Black

Choreography/puppet coach Duda Paiva

Performer Duda Paiva

Music/sound design Wilco Alkema

Light design Mark Verhoef

Puppets Evandro Serodio, Duda Paiva

Yoruba teacher/theatre anthropologist Patrick Oliveira

Dramaturgical advice Nienke Rooijakkers

Costumes in decor Machtelt Halewijn

Costume performers Atty Kingma

Decor realisation Daniel Patijn

A coproduction with Black Hole Theatre [AUS], Nordland Visual Theatre [NO], Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionnettes [FR], Korzo Theater [NL] * co financed by Performing Arts Fund NL * with a lot of thanks to Hans C. Boer, Domokos Kovacs, Patrick Oliveira, MapLab Utrecht.