Corazón Abriendo (Heart Opening) is a portal that transports the audience into the vivid, lush atmosphere of the highlands and rainforests of Chiapas, Mexico through a multimedia “cloth” of dance, sculpture, video, and music skillfully woven together. Echoes of ancient civilizations overlap with the energy of modern life as the artistic sensibilities of contemporary dancers meld with the traditional weaving arts of the Mayan people. CORE Performance Company weaves music, dance, storytelling, videography and the sights and sounds collected from Chiapas into this exceptional performance piece.
In January 2005, Sue Schroeder, CORE Performance Company and composer Terrence Karn traveled to Chiapas to experience the rich mixture of cultures that coexist in the area. During this “immersion” residency they took weaving classes with Tzeltal master weaver Lucía Hernández López, and began an in-depth study of this ancient artistic tradition, which conserves and conveys fundamental aspects of Maya myth and history. Led by archaeologist Alonso Mendez and anthropologist Walter F. (Chip) Morris Jr., participants also traveled throughout Chiapas, attending local indigenous festivals, visiting the archaeological sites of Tonina and Palenque, and exploring the rainforest and mountains that make up the magical natural environment of the state.
In November 2005 CORE returned to Chiapas, continuing their work on the choreography and integrating Walter F. (Chip) Morris Jr.´s interactive set design, which includes mobiles in the shape of doorways, and elements of the backstrap loom. Video artist, Maya Ciarrocchi, also accompanied the group, documenting the rehearsal process and collecting images for the projections used in the scenic design, enhancing the multi-media texture of the final piece and highlighting its unique sense of time and place. Writer Carol Karasik created the piece’s narrative structure, which interweaves texts in English, Spanish, and Maya dialects.
Corazón Abriendo (Heart Opening) premiered in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, Mexico at the Teatro de la Ciudad "Emilio Rabasa," and went on to tour in San Cristóbal de las Casas at the Teatro de la Ciudad "Hermanos Dominguez" as part of the Festival Internacional Cervantino-Barroco and in Villahermosa, Tabasco at the Teatro de la UJAT as part of the Festival Cultural CEIBA Tabasco. The U.S. premiere took place at 7 Stages Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, which was followed by the Texas premiere.
