Paralelo Teatros theatrical dance production, CONSTELLATIONS, by Alejandro Rodriguez and Dana Sánchez-Graham addresses the relationship between Mexico and the USA and the family histories that inscribe themselves in the body as a result. The revival took place on 17/18 July 2024 in ACUD Theater.
Cumbia rhythms and the deep voice of musician René Gamez echo through the stairwell. The higher I go in the direction of the theater hall, the clearer the whooping and cheering resounding from both the audience as well as the stage. Alejandro Rodriguez steps to the edge of the stage and reports on the excitement that has accumulated in his body: ñañaras. The English translation suggestions from the audience do not seem to adequately describe the feeling. However, his shaking hands, the trembling coursing through his body, make me feel like I know exactly what ñañaras is.
René Gamez is standing in the back corner of the hall at a DJ table of sorts accompanying the next music on a small hand drum. Dana Sánchez-Graham and Alejandro Rodriguez are dancing to the rhythm on stage. They repeatedly place the backs of their hands on their waists, flap their elbows as if they had limp wings, and move their heads back and forth. What at first is only remotely reminiscent of chickens is soon illustrated with sounds. Cackling and with wide-opened eyes, they walk across the stage until Dana Sánchez-Graham takes on the role of the Mexican village dweller, and her own grandmother Lydia, as she tries to hold her chickens at bay. Lydia received a letter from the USA. Written in English, it is read out loud by someone in the audience and translated into Spanish for Lydia. The sender writes that she will soon be finishing school and would so like to visit Lydia but can not. She writes that it would be so much easier if Lydia would simply learn English. The next moment she is herself again. This time she talks in English about how she should hide her Spanish, how it had now just become the language of rebellion and celebration, while English reflected her professional, serious side. At the same time, she scrubs her arms in a bucket of water so intensely it feels like she wants to scratch the color from her skin.
Dana Sánchez-Graham and Alejandro Rodriguez move freely through their own family histories. The experiences of their ancestors are anchored in their gestures and facial expressions, in the shape of their legs and the array of birthmarks. The endless politics of exclusion and race ideology are carved into family trees and leave their marks on new branches and twigs. CONSTELLATIONS tells of colonial history and the border between Mexico and the USA. Political events blur into family stories, the past blurs into the present. Despite (or perhaps because of) the specificity of the story, many moments of the 50-minute dance theater piece are relatable and remind me of stories of my own family. The use of language in the performance especially sticks out. Dance and movement are used as a third language and a translation aid between English and Spanish, clearly describing the moments during which vocabulary is replaced by gestures and facial expressions and when cultural differences become evident through hand movements.
English translation by Melissa Maldonado
CONSTELLATIONS by Alejandro Rodriguez und Dana Sánchez-Graham was performed as a resumption on 17–18 Juli 2024 at ACUD Theater.
