The Paraninfo at the University of Alicante (UA) will host the contemporary dance performance LANA tomorrow, Wednesday 28 October, at 19:00. This production by the Basque company Osa+Mujica delves into the theme of work oppression, portraying it as a fundamental aspect of people's lives through theatrical representation.
Tickets are available for €10 on the UA's Cultural Services website. According to the company, LANA emerged from a revelation that "work is a trap for which we are prepared from a young age and which lasts almost until death." The production reflects on the obsessive work culture prevalent today, linking work with concepts such as success, value, and status, and questioning how this affects individuals and their relationships.
The creators of LANA share that the work was born from a period of exhaustion and emptiness, during which the company considered leaving dance altogether. "We thought that this profession, which we pursue with passion and without fixed hours, was taking too much from us, and we even contemplated abandoning the art world to work in a courier company with a set schedule, far from what we love. However, we quickly realised that this feeling about work is widespread in society," they explain.
Directed by Osa+Mujika, with choreography by Jaiotz Osa, set and costume design by Xabier Mujika, music by Gartxot Unsain, and lighting by Isa del Moral, the performance features dancers Rafke Van Houplines, Paula Parra, Maddi Ruiz de Loizaga, Adrián Bolaños, and Jaiotz Osa.
The company Osa+Mujika was formed from the artistic collaboration between Jaiotz Osa, a dancer and choreographer, and Xabier Mujika, a designer of costumes and stage spaces. Together, they aim to tell visual stories with a clear and powerful message, bringing to life the images that linger in their minds through movement and audiovisual formats. The union of Osa and Mujika is described as a response to their desire to explore dance and visual arts.
Since their inception in 2017, they have created several works, including Suddenly, Kenophobia, Expectations will not kill you, Abundance, and Bueltaxka.
Additionally, as part of the UA's Performing Arts Agenda, a change of date has been announced for the dance performance tÁ. Originally scheduled for 11 November, it will now take place on 10 November at the same time and with the same tickets. The company Escena Miriñaque will present tÁ, a dance-theatre piece aimed at children that brings magical realism to life in a forest where the unreal or strange is naturalised as commonplace. The two characters, quirky, amusing, and sensitive, will develop a friendship based on emotional growth through play. tÁ offers a refreshing perspective, blending dance and theatre to emphasise the importance of reflecting on living in the moment and growing without haste, teaching audiences to dedicate the necessary time to emotions that help us survive and foster relationships.
