Set in post-revolution Cuba, Mariposa is a stunning modern dance exploration of the impacts of love, longing and loss...
Mansfield Palace Theatre was the setting for Mariposa, a queer reimagining of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly – and one of the best dance shows I have experienced in my life.
A true feast for the senses, this unique production, choreographed by Carlos Pons Guerra, features stunning backdrops and lighting, which combine to create an effect evocative of Carribean nights.
The piece tells the story of rent boy Mariposa and a foreign sailor, who fall in love. The bespoke score, created by composer Luis Miguel Cobo, is inspired by Puccini and Caribbean sounds – and the perfect match for the production’s storyline and aesthetic.
Grotesque movements to evoke the inherent exploitation
With no dialogue, I was able to follow the moving story of Mariposa, which was interspersed with elements of shock, sadness and even comedy. The combined strength, physicality and emotion of all the performers in the DeNada Dance Theatre was also something to behold.
One of the most striking symbols used was the pointe shoe worn by the male lead to convey a certain fragility – and grotesque movements to evoke the inherent exploitation in the foreign sex tourism that is prevalent in places such as Cuba.
All in all, Mariposa is a memorable and haunting tale of desire and desperation – and a show that’s hard to forget.
Mariposa played at the Mansfield Palace Theatre on Friday 28 February 2025.
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