Performing Arts

MOMIX: Opus Cactus at DWT

Cactus Gila Monster By Max Pucciariello

By Natasha Anderson

Diana Wortham Theatre presents MOMIX: Opus Cactus, an illusionistic dance performance, on Wednesday and Thursday, February 20 and 21, at 8 p.m. The show, which was originally created in 2001 as a 20-minute piece for Ballet Arizona, has returned to the MOMIX repertoire as a full evening-length work.

“I hope Opus Cactus takes people into the world I experienced when I first saw the Arizona desert,” says the company’s artistic director Moses Pendleton. “The saguaro cactuses slowly coming into silhouette with their arms raised, the clear light, the desert colors and the animals coming to life as night fell—it was like an initiation.”

The performance, like all MOMIX productions, combines athletic dance, riveting music, outrageous costumes and inventive props to create a beautiful and entertaining multimedia experience. Pendleton brings the desert landscape to life by creating dynamic illusionistic images of cactuses, slithering lizards and fire dancers. Audiences are transported across fantastical dunes through movement, lighting and surreal imagery to perfectly emulate the flora and fauna of the American Southwest and other desert regions. Corresponding music includes Native American, aboriginal and Arabic works.

“We don’t do stunts, but we do achieve illusionistic effects that depend on the physical talents of our dancers as enhanced or extended by costumes, props and light,” says Pendleton. “It’s not modern dance in the way that most people think of it, though we do use highly trained dancers.”

Opus Cactus is full of surprises, with cast members manipulating their bodies and props in unique and astounding ways. While there is no concrete storyline, the performance utilizes a series of vignettes to keep audiences riveted. Other MOMIX concepts include nature’s wonders in Botanica and the ancient art of alchemy in Alchemia.

“We often don’t know exactly what something will turn into until we bring in an idea and play with it in the studio,” says Pendleton. “It’s a constantly evolving process using many different creative tools.”

Founded in 1980, MOMIX has performed live in more than 22 countries. The company has also worked extensively in film and television. Their production Imagine was one of the first 3-D IMAX films to be released worldwide. A special Q&A session with the MOMIX artists will be held directly after the performances.

Diana Wortham Theatre is located at 18 Biltmore Avenue in Asheville. Tickets are $20–$55. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit DWTheatre.com or call 828.257.4530.

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