When Eusebio Sempere imagined art as a total experience—a fusion of plasticity, visual play, movement, poetry, rhythm and light—the OtraDanza company embraced this vision and translated its essence into choreography and live performance. Onil’s homage to the artist marks the centenary of his birth with a tribute that seeks to render Sempere’s multidisciplinary spirit through the body and stage, inviting the audience to experience a shared, immersive encounter with art.
Sempere’s influence is felt in the show’s very conception. The production, directed by Asun Noales, unfolds through a collaborative effort that includes the illegal company In the production, the Teatro Manager for Alicante City Council, OtraDanza, and MACA, a museum that houses a vast personal collection connected to Onil’s creator and stands as one of the most significant repositories of related works. The piece situates itself within a cultural ecosystem that values the integration of modern craft and historical memory, turning the venue into a living atelier where past and present dialogue through movement and light. [Citation: OtraDanza collaboration and MACA collection context]
Footage from a rehearsal of the work titled merely as Sempere provides a glimpse into the rehearsal room where ideas are tested and reworked. The fragment, captured by German Anton, offers a window into a process that blends discipline with discovery, where technique serves as a vehicle for expression rather than a mere display of precision. [Citation: Rehearsal footage reference]
And that is the essence of the production’s premiere at the Main Theater of Alicante. Here, Asun Noales directs and choreographs a focused investigation into how three-dimensional objects occupy space and how light can sculpt perception. The piece invites the audience to move with it, to notice how kinetic and optical stimuli interplay with the stage’s architecture, turning everyday materials into catalysts for wonder. The performers negotiate space with intention, letting light reveal new facets of form and motion, and guiding spectators through a sensory landscape where sight, sound, and touch converge. [Citation: Premiere context and artistic aims]
Distribution
The cast brings together Aaron Vázquez and Diana Huertas, joined by Eila Valls, Federica Fasano, Marta Santacatalina, Rosanna Freda and Salvador Rocher. They join Asun Noales in this physical and visual journey, each artist contributing a distinct voice to the ensemble. Live music features double bassist Jorge Da Rocha, whose resonant lines underline the work’s rhythmic spine. Luis Crespo oversees the staging area while Joaquin Hernandez handles the lighting, shaping atmosphere and guiding the audience through shifts in mood and focus. [Citation: Cast and crew overview]