"The Corral" by Anabella Lenzu/DanceDrama

Choreography: Anabella Lenzu
Music: Eladia Blasquez, Astor Piazzolla, Alejandro Lerner, Carlos Baglietto &
Victor Heredia
Lighting: Todd Carroll
Premier: October 2009, New York
Venue: Merce Cunningham Studio
Length of the show: 50 minutes
Community. Chaos. Revolt “The Corral” is a piece that explores the themes of homeland and patriotism. As a native Argentinean and a foreigner on United States soil, I often ask myself: which country is my “home”-the country where I was born or the country that nourishes me (financially/culturally) now? Drawing upon my experience with the “El Corralito”.
More specifically, “The Corral” processes the experience I had with “El Corralito”-the 2001 social-political uprising in Argentina when the government froze all bank accounts, essentially robbing the entire nation overnight. The word “Corralito” translates to corral, a holding pen for farm animals. This is where I will incorporate symbolism from George Orwell’s novel, Animal Farm, and Gabriela Mistral’s poetry. These references will mix with the physical theatre and movement to explore different perspectives and investigate how governments trap citizens and create stereotypical characters.
There is meaning disguised behind images of a knife, a pair of high heels, a red river, an open hand, or an embrace. For me, the question of "society" and personal identity are interwoven, and the work I want to develop centers around the destruction and subsequent rebuilding of that relationship. It tells the story of one specific country, but the message is global. The pages of history in any country are written with the same words: anger, power, joy, fear and hope.