El Camino del Agua is a performance with young Cuban dancers from the Escuela Nacional de Danza Moderna y Folclórica and young Dutch musicians of the Youth String Orchestra. It is an artistic encounter between young people from two cultures, which both use their own skills as young artists in this encounter. The music, inspired by Cuban Orisha songs, was composed by Patricio Wang and performed live by the Dutch Youth String Orchestra conducted by Johannes Leertouwer.

Inspiration and starting point are the Orishas, the Afro-Cuban gods pantheon of popular Cuban religion Santeria. Through the allegory of the Orishas  a story is told about the isolated situation of young Cubans and their hope to meet their peers elsewhere in the world. At the same time these Orishas are presented to tell broadly about the forces that surround Cuba and the Cubans: the power of the sea, the unprecedented lightning and hurricanes as well as the impact of socialism, religion and the joy of life.

The  Dutch musicians support and challenge the dancers. Rapprochement and counterpoint, mastery and lyricism is their game and answer to the Cuban forces of life. The cultural fusion finds its way in an associative composition of dance and music.

Choreography: Feri de Geus en Noortje Bijvoets
Music: Patricio Wang Dirigent Johannes Leertouwer
Set/light: Pink Steenvoorden, Einstein Design
Costums: Ben Voorhaar Karisma Costumes
Production: Tamara Dirven
Management: Betty Kaan
Dance: Mardelis Martinez Duarte, Rosario María Rodriguez ,Yusimy Moya Rodriguez, Massiel Ester Jaca, Leanett Rodriguez Gonzales, Jorge Valenzuela Barceló, Isbel Bello Rodriguez, Saigel Luis Palacios, Yosmel Calderon Mejias, Edson Leonardo Cabrera Veitia

 

 

 

 

 

The performance was 15 times presented at 5 big summerfestivals in the Netherlands and was presented at the Cuban Teatro Nacional.
El Camino del Agua was supported by Stichting Doen, NCDO, Fonds voor de Scheppende Toonkunst, Fonds Podiumkunsten, AFK, Dutch Embassy in Cuba.

‘…Passionate dancing echoes on the central square of Rotterdam… Elegant are the girls with their yellow fans and gigantic skirts. Passionate are the ‘masculine’ boys with their bare chests. With red paint on their hands they print each other’s back. A feast to watch… a gorgeous picture…’
Rotterdams Dagblad

‘…We are immersed in a bath of music: salutary and bewildered. The music of Patricio Wang sounds charming, than again furious… More spectacular than any other performances of the opening night of the festival was this performance with ten Cuban dancers. They were that convincing on stage, that one wished the Dutch students had the same animation on the opening night of the International Theatreschool festival…’
Volkskrant

‘…As a special opening of the International Theatreschool Festival El Camino del Agua was presented. Dutch choreographers Feri de Geus en Noortje Bijvoets created this work with students of the Cuban Academy for Modern and Folkloric Dance. Based on Afro-Cuban Orishas, the youthful enthusiasm of the dancers was infectious. The execution of Patricio Wang’s musical composition was performed very well by the Dutch String Orchestra…’
NRC Handelsblad

‘…The young Cuban dancers of El Camino del Agua have made a deep impression…I saw the marching in the end. With that mix of water and sand and the duet from the beginning of the performance. That really gave me goose pimples…’
Oerol Krantsje