麻豆淫院

础迟听鈥檚 home on Costa Rica鈥檚 lush, sunny Nicoya Peninsula, the doors and windows are flung open to let in the ocean breeze and the sounds of chirping tropical birds. She spends hours each day suspended from fabric above the ground, practicing the craft of aerial dance.

Walls don鈥檛 play an important role here鈥攁nd yet, Prada鈥檚 been thinking about walls a lot lately.

鈥淚n the [United] States, they鈥檙e talking about walls as a way to disconnect from other people,鈥� the Bogot谩, Colombia native says. 鈥淚鈥檓 more interested in using walls as a kind of support, as a step toward reaching someone else.鈥�

This April,听she鈥檒l bring听her aerial talents and malleable fabric walls to CU Boulder for 鈥�,鈥� an annual dance faculty showcase. In her limited time here as a听, she鈥檒l direct students in the performance of an original piece that uses only fabric and human strength to create gravity-defying movements and shapes.

Since aerial dance is still a small niche in the dance world, Prada鈥檚 been able to help define what it is and what it looks like.

鈥淔or me, it鈥檚 a really authentic way to move, because there are no preconceptions,鈥� Prada says. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 need to look like anybody. There鈥檚 no certain style or choreographer I have to emulate. With aerial, I have the freedom of just being who I am.鈥�

Themes of authenticity and connection run through almost every piece in 鈥淭he Current鈥� this year, says Assistant Professor of Dance and Concert Director听鈥攕o Prada fits right in.

鈥淲e鈥檙e celebrating our diversity and thinking of how we connect,鈥� Mason says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e pulling from Hip-Hop, transnational fusion and contemporary dance. The music is coming from everywhere, from Erykah Badu to Jimi Hendrix to electronic dance music. There鈥檚 an 听interest in sharing and dialogue with the audience.鈥�

Among the pieces audiences will see are a duet about losing and finding yourself in a relationship, a Hip-Hop inspired group piece called 鈥淯.s.鈥� with a section set to a guitar icon鈥檚 performance of 鈥淭he Star Spangled Banner,鈥� and a mesmerizing, virtuosic solo by Assistant Professor听.

Mason herself choreographed a group piece about the difficult conversations people occasionally must have in intimate relationships. She wants to explore the challenge of speaking up and the wave of relief that hits after someone has revealed something big to a partner or loved one鈥攁 feeling she believes almost everyone has experienced.

鈥淚 know how difficult it can be for any of us to have that hard conversation about 听something important to us,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he audience will get to know the people on stage a little, since the dancers and I are pulling real stories from our past along with imagined situations.鈥�

The conversations depicted range from funny to touching and deal with sexuality, relationships, breakups, mental health, drug issues and more. She hopes audience members will find themselves in one or more of the stories and says she, along with all her 鈥淐urrent鈥� colleagues, is constantly in search of new ways to draw the audience in.

鈥淓ach choreographer shares a point of view that sparks conversation with the audience rather than presenting a specific narrative,鈥� she says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 an invitation to the audience to be part of these worlds.鈥�
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Tickets for The Current start at $18.听To purchase tickets, visit the CU Presents box office in person (972 Broadway), call 303-492-8008 during business hours or听anytime. Note: All online and phone orders are subject to a service fee.听