Fans of Spanish artist Salvador Dali were treated to a surreal performance of acrobatics, dance and music with the UAE premiere of La Verita at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec) starting Thursday evening.
La Verita (Italian for ‘the truth’) combines surrealism with many elements of the circus, opera and clown theatre. This is evident in the performers’ attitude on stage that is dreamy yet entertaining.
The performance itself is flawless, with many magical moments that capture the audience. For starters, the performers are so graceful in their movements that they make everything seem effortless. From pole dancing and performing on a trapeze to dancing on rollerblades, it was hard to lift an eye off the performers.
They also have great chemistry with one another as their bodies seem to almost intertwine when they dance together.
Despite that, it was the music that captured my attention more than anything. Combining opera and classical music, it brought another dimension to the show, and worked perfectly well with the performance.
Pre-recorded music
The music was mostly pre-recorded by an orchestra, but there were also performers playing the piano, violin, accordion, drums, and most surprisingly, the glass harp.
La Verita is written and directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca, who is also one of the brains behind Corteo from Cirque du Soleil. However, if you attend the show with the same expectations you have from Cirque du Soleil, you might be slightly disappointed due to the lack of cohesion and a storyline.
During the intermission, the audience can enjoy Dali’s original work as his piece, Mad Tristan, which served as the inspiration behind the show, is on display.
Rose Dupreez, an audience member, said she enjoyed the show as she is a fan of Dali’s work. “It’s awesome to see Dali’s original work on display, and it’s definitely a privilege to see it here in Abu Dhabi. I’ve read a lot of articles about the original artwork and I really wanted to see it,” she said.
Another attendee, Diane Stanica, described the performance as “interesting” and said: “Everything was very well co-ordinated; the lights, the music and the dance. It was my first time to see a performance centred on an artist, and I’m glad to see something different for a change.”
Plot flaws
However, others felt lost in the plot.
Tamara Dissanayake, an audience member, said she found the storyline hard to follow. Having previously attended Cirque du Soleil, she was looking forward to watching an intricate plot, but said the show fell short of that.
The show was part of Abu Dhabi Summer Season, a series of entertainment events organised by the Tourism and Culture Authority. Upcoming shows in the Summer Season include United Nations of Comedy.
