‘Humo’: a good approach by Rafaela Carrasco undermined by confusion

Humo, the latest show by choreographer and dancer Rafaela Carrasco, has the ingredients to be a convincing work. However, in its world premiere at the Centro de Danza Matadero in Madrid, it did not reach that result. There was too much noise, both literal and that which appeals to confusion.

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The strengths of this new show, which pays tribute to the cigar factory workers who stood out in cities like Madrid and Seville, especially in the 19th century, lie in Carrasco herself, National Dance Award 2023 winner in the creation category. Her elegant and slow dance, and that generous ability to assemble very polished casts, united by a common energy, is felt in the work. Although with a clearly in crescendo rhythm. The drive, boldness, and determination of those groups, feminist and pioneering in several aspects, do not fully resonate in the group until some time has passed. But it is eventually achieved, and this stage hesitation may be the result of the nerves of such a significant premiere. Among the dancers, Cristina Soler stands out, especially in the solo she performs, which holds a great amount of technical and expressive mastery. Thus, the physical proposal is perceived as solid, although without major new discoveries in the choreographic discourse of the creator.

The imbalance of Humo was especially noticeable in its sound space. Both musically and in the excessive accents of the footwork while walking, the whispers and canned voices that do not add up, and the mix of all these elements. The communion sought with the meeting of the flamenco voice of Gema Caballero and the lyrical voice of Marta Estal, great separately, ends in a tangle and even causes moments out of tune.

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Towards the end, one of the great visual discoveries takes place: the scene behind the large window that is part of the set design. But it arrives very late, is barely sketched, and feels insufficient. Set in an old cigar factory (with an aesthetic aroma of Pina Bausch’s Café Müller), the chairs are a well-established scenic and narrative element in the first scenes, but become something repetitive and dispensable. The lighting, precise and discreet, ends up supporting the effectiveness of an attractive and activist theme, that of the cigar workers, diminished by the sound confusion and somewhat blurry dramaturgy.