The University of Malta’s School of Performing Arts is supporting Vespers, a double bill of contemporary dance works inspired by plays of Federico García Lorca and organised by Diciembre Dance Group (DDG), performed by DDG and Cienfuegos Danza.

'Blood Wedding' is Diciembre Dance Group's new production based on Federico Garcia Lorca's renowned work. It is a work fusing contemporary and flamenco dance styles, uniting professional dancers and people from the community, whilst intertwining Maltese and Spanish cultures. Under the artistic direction of Lucía Piquero, the work also includes the participation of Alegría Dance Company, original music by Alberto García, and lighting design by Moritz Zavan. 

'88 Lillies And A Dog' is Cienfuegos Danza's latest work based on Lorca’s polemic 'The Public'. Cienfuegos Danza doubles its original cast including Malta-based dancers as a collaborative endeavour for this particular performance. The work is choreographed by Yoshua Cienfuegos and has original music by Jesús Serrano.

Both choreographers, Piquero and Cienfuegos, work on the use of dance composition as a means to reinterpret Lorca's powerful stories. And Diciembre Dance will also collaborate with author Lizzie Eldridge who will present a street theatre piece, and University of Malta's Professor Vicki Ann Cremona, Dr Immanuel Mifsud and Dr Marco Galea to bring Lorca's work closer to both audiences and performers, including a panel discussion on 30 September at the University of Malta, Msida Campus (12:30 to 13:30 at Gateway Hall B1).

SPA is happy to support this interdisciplinary project that responds to the nature of the School uniting dance, theatre and music, integrating the community into the performing arts, and fulfilling the research aims that SPA strives for.

The performance will be held on 8 and 9 October at 20:00 at Pjazza Teatru Rjal.

I first decided to reintepret Lorca's Blood Wedding in dance in 2009, that time, it was not possible. 7 years later, I start rehearsals to recreate that same play for DDG's new production. Although of course I feel the responsibility and anxiety of trying to do honour to the great playwright and of creating such a big production (at least for me), I'm also surrounded by an amazing team (I would not be doing this without all of them).  Lucía Piquero, Artistic Director, Vespers