DIAVOLO Architecture In Motion Tickets

DIAVOLO Architecture In Motion is a dance company that has been captivating audiences with their unique blend of architecture, dance, and theater for over 25 years. The company was founded in Los Angeles in 1992 by Jacques Heim, who still serves as its artistic director.

At the core of DIAVOLO's artistry is the exploration of how structures and spaces can interact with the human body to create visually stunning and emotionally resonant performances. Many of the company's works center around oversized sculptures that are designed to challenge and inspire the dancers who move amidst them. These sculptures can be anything from giant, rolling cubes to angled platforms that shift and tilt under the performers' feet.

But while the sculpture is certainly a central aspect of DIAVOLO's work, it is not the only one. The dancers themselves are just as important, using their bodies to explore themes such as risk-taking, trust, and collaboration. As the Los Angeles Times puts it, "DIAVOLO isn't afraid to ask big questions about what makes us human."

So where does theater come into all of this? For one thing, DIAVOLO's shows are highly choreographed and often have a narrative arc. The movements of the dancers are carefully timed and coordinated, creating a sense of drama and tension that is reminiscent of traditional theatrical performances. But beyond that, DIAVOLO's work blurs the lines between theater and dance in some truly fascinating ways.

Take, for example, the company's piece "Trajectoire," which premiered in 2015. In this work, the performers navigate a series of platforms and ramps that resemble an urban landscape. They jump, climb, and slide around this constructed environment in a way that is both acrobatic and graceful, creating a kind of physical poetry that feels utterly original.

As the work progresses, however, the performers take on increasingly complex roles that seem to be drawn from the world of theater. Some become soldiers in a battle, fighting against an imaginary enemy. Others take on the personas of urban dwellers, rushing to catch a bus or hurrying to work.

But even as they do so, they never lose sight of their physicality. The entire piece is a kind of choreographed chaos, with bodies and structures flying every which way. The effect is breathtaking, leaving audiences feeling both exhilarated and emotionally moved.

In this way, DIAVOLO's work speaks to what theater does best: it creates a space where the boundaries between reality and imagination can blur, allowing us to explore the depths of our emotions and experiences. By merging dance and architecture in such an immersive way, DIAVOLO is creating a kind of new hybrid art form that challenges our assumptions about what theater can be. For anyone interested in boundary-pushing performance, DIAVOLO Architecture In Motion is a company not to be missed.