Mariposa: a Queer Tragedy Inspired by Puccini’s Madame Butterfly
★★★★ FINANCIAL TIMES
“There is nothing like Pons Guerra’s work elsewhere on the British stage ” DANCE EUROPE
“Pons Guerra’s Mariposa is full of vivid images, super choreography, and impressive and thoughtful characterisation.” DANCING TIMES
“A trans Madama Butterfly that will linger in the mind and will take a lot of beating.” FINANCIAL TIMES
“Wickedly subversive” DANCE EUROPE
“The combination of tenderness and savage disappointment make Mariposa a powerful, if disturbing, show.” BRITISH THEATRE GUIDE
“Best of all, it’s a great piece of storytelling; one I suspect most are unlikely to forget. ”
DANCING TIMES
“Bold and thought-provoking, it does not flinch from any kind of potent imagery or radical ideas.” DANCE EUROPE
TORO: Beauty and the Bull
★★★★ Financial Times
★★★★ The Observer
★★★★ The Stage
★★★★ Dance Tabs
“Extraordinary poignancy” The Observer (Full article)
“Unbound eroticism and dynamite dancing” The Guardian (Full article)
“Sensual and provocative” The Stage (Full article)
“Fascinating” DanceTabs (Full article)
“Dazzling imagery and innovative movement” Financial Times (Full article)
“Highly erotic and spiritual” Dance Europe
“Stylishly staged and superlatively danced” Financial Times
“It’s witty, it’s penetrating, and it’s personal” The Observer
“Luxuriously decadent” The Wonderful World of Dance
“An urgent comment on society” The Stage
“Ultra-stylish, sensorial and sensual” DanceTabs
“Fantastical, camp and beautiful” The Wonderful World of Dance
HAM AND PASSION
★★★★ The Stage
"Perverse, sexy and flamboyant" The Observer
"Luridly funny" The Guardian
"Extraordinarily powerful" Dance Europe
"Sensuous precision" The Independent
"Thematically bold, theatrically vivid" Dancing Times
"Audacious, funny, nostalgic" London Evening Standard
"Extreme passion and florid sexuality" The Stage
RUFFLE
“In Ruffle, Pons Guerra’s voice strikes with a most distinctive timbre” Dance Europe
“Camp but also imparts feeling; subtle dramatic layers and tension” Donald Hutera
“Competitive and aggressive” Dance Europe
What our audiences say
“That was brilliant, DeNada, from start to finish. Everything. Excellent. #mariposa Massively lucky to have front row tickets.
Audience member
“Thank you DeNada and your beautiful dancers for a gorgeous evening of dance last night. I thought the piece [Mariposa] was so moving & had a little cry in the toilets after! Nothing will ever top the ham & the nun but this was bloody gorgeous!”
Born and Bred
“The bill is dangerous and fascinating and mirroring the real world at the moment as we struggle for our identity and sexual needs and desires. O Maria was shocking and seemingly blasphemous as well as gentle and loving - and funny too! What you can do with a leg of ham!”
Patricia Doyle, theatre director
“Gender bending blasphemous fabulousness. Plus Mary dancing like Martha. Winner. Well done all of you!”
Valentina Golfieri, dancer, choreographer and designer.
“Canarian choreographer Carlos Pons Guerra fascinates the UK. Ham and Passion starts its tour in the spectacular Wilton’s Music Hall.”
Ainhoa Paredes, London correspondent, Telecinco News.
“Debauchery of creativity thanks to a leg of ham, all in Ham and Passion, by choreographer Carlos Pons Guerra.”
Rita A. Tudela, photo journalist, The Voice of Galicia
“Great show by DeNada at Wilton’s Music Hall. Really powerful, provocative and a little disturbing!(In a good way). Congrats Carlos Pons Guerra”
Toby Batley, dancer
“Congrats on Ham and Passion, DeNada- Spanish music with very edgy church choreography- taking risks in dance.”
Claudia Redmond, broadcast journalist
“More fight-flirt dancing on our stage please! A beautiful tribute to the bravery of drag queens in Civil War Spain!”
Amy Wilx
“Unmissable”
Theatre Bench
“This was wonderful last night. Absurdist, anarchic, angst-filled dance from a brilliant Spanish company. Dressed to the nines by Ryan Laight.”
Alan Turkington
“Loved DeNada’s Ham and passion in the beautiful setting of Wilton’s Music Hall, featuring stunning performances from a leg of ham and the three dancers. So great”
Bella Eacott
“What a fabulous evening. Loved and was obsessed with the handography! Bravo”
Saba Ali
“Last night, Ham & Passion at Wiltons. Dance needs more gender-swapped, boundary pushing, provocative...whatever it was, with sequins. So bold and assured. Really grabs you by the salamis…Carlos Pons Guerra is, for sure, a twisted, mad, sorcerer of a choreographer”
Hannah Young
“Just one word for tonight’s performance of DeNada’s Ham and Passion: INCREDIBLE. Thank you Carlos Pons Guerra and cast for such a beautiful piece.”
Cygnet Theatre
“Beautiful work- dark, funny and very visual!”
Maria Falconer, photographer
“Intricate, tender, playful, poignant. Ham and Passion did not disappoint tonight. Outstanding.”
Marina O’Shea, writer and actor
“Great evening out. Get tickets while you can”
Bob O’Dwyer
"Passionate, fearless, knowledgeable yet original in its fusion of styles, conceptually ambitious yet intelligible. The most daring offering of the evening."
Doctor Alberto Fernández Carbajal