Katharsis Morphé / Reversible / Mambo 3XXI

“Contemporary avant-garde and Caribbean sensuality — a ballet company full of surprises” is how Cuba’s largest contemporary dance company describes itself. Danza Contemporánea de Cuba has a history spanning more than 50 years. It was founded in the year of Fidel Castro’s revolution. All its dancers are trained in Cuba’s great ballet tradition, which they continually expand with modern European and Latin American styles. Their repertoire extends beyond Cuban traditions, ranging from works by the company’s own choreographer George Céspedes to those by the Spaniard Rafael Bonachela and the Swede Mats Ek. In Cologne, they will present three very different works for the first time.

The programme opens with KATHARSIS MORPHÉ, a new work by George Céspedes, one of the leading figures in contemporary Cuban dance. In it, he explores national identity, its fractures and its ongoing transformation in the face of contemporary challenges. The work premieres in Cuba in September 2026.

The second piece, REVERSIBLE, is by Belgian-Colombian choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. It takes us straight into a battle of the sexes: men and women face each other like two opposing tribes. Their clothing alone causes confusion, while physical attraction unsettles both groups. When individuals draw closer, the collective responds vigilantly — commenting, exaggerating, heightening the tension or holding them back. For all its choreographic freedom and contemporary European influences, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa consciously draws on Cuban movement vocabulary.

The evening closes with a work that has long been a classic in George Céspedes’s repertoire. In MAMBO 3XXI, the company brings together everything that defines the Cuban spirit: exceptional artistry and fiery energy, in an interplay of touch and movement, street dance and neoclassicism, all driven by a pulsating rhythm.

Katharsis Morphé

Choreography by George Céspedes

Development of choreographic material by DCC dancers; Choreographic assistance by Yoerlis Brunet

Music by I.A. Project, X Alfonso, Habana Abierta, Luis Alberto Barbería, Polito Ibáñez, Carlos Varela, Oaled Xisela

World premiere September 26, 2026, Teatro Nacional de Cuba, Avellaneda Hall

Reversible

Choreography by Annabelle López Ochoa

Music Rituel 2 – Jean-Claude Kerinec & Staff Elmeddah; Cello Recycling – Aaron Martin & Machinefabriek; Time – Kroke; Inmemory-Scanner; Catedral – Eric Vaarzan Morel

World premiere January 2015, Teatro Mella, Havana

Mambo 3XXI

Choreography by George Céspedes

Music by Beny Moré, Nacional Electrónica

World premiere February 23, 2009, Newcastle