Competing Identities of the Untamed Soul

The Instagram account for Houston’s own House of Ostora prepared me for a night of steamy romance, passion, and adventure, as told through the art of dance. “Untamed Soul” promised a duet of souls, dancing together through time to the beat and background of Spanish Flamenco. Arriving at The Match, greeted by cast members adorned in stunning costumes, I received a vintage souvenir ticket, remnant of the days of kinos past. Before the attendant punched my ticket, she mysteriously and wistfully inquired, “Do you wish to remember, or to forget?”

Weaving my way to my seat, I was escorted by the sound of Latin-Caribbean music trickling through the noise of a nearly full house. Warmth and familiarity lingered in the air, creating an appealing atmosphere of anticipation in any language. House of Ostora pledged a “dance-cinematic experience”; their attention to detail in both house and advertising gave the impression that they knew exactly what show this show was about. 

Unfortunately, after the adorable opening number, “Opening Party”, the clarity of this production wavers. The magician/host considers if we can trust our own memory, and explains how he learned to remember through dancing–however, the magician did not dance enough to establish a clear connection between his own character and the story being told through dance. While components of the show struggled for dominance in terms of dancing, acting, and magic, if anything is clear to me about this production, it is the wealth of creative potential here among all three of these characteristic elements.

The strengths of this show certainly lie in the gifts of the choreographer, Luz Figueroa, and the performances of Soren Rivero, Cinthia Garza, Chavely Martinez, Raul Barrero, Irma Garcia, and Izzy Giana. The connection between the dancers was wholesomely tangible; this and the craftsmanship of the choreographer carried the show. This contagious element made it difficult for viewers to remain in one’s seat. As a dancer myself, I was thrilled to feel such authenticity emanating from the stage. 

My personal favorites include “Bull Fight”, “Rose Returns”, and “The Untamed”. In these chapters, a hush swept over an already captivated audience; a hungry, intense curiosity pushed us to the edge of our seats. There we remained, enchanted by the fantastical blend of movement and storytelling, bewitched by the charisma of Luz Figueroa, and transfixed by the mythological nature of the choreography…it was in these moments that real magic was found.

But then the numbers were over, the lights would come up, and the magician would break the fourth wall, leaving me disoriented and confused by the jarring shift. It currently feels like three separate shows in one: a dance concert, a play, and a magic show, none of which have an explicit lead. However, I do want to be clear that while the written material may have failed to come to life, it was not due to any absence of talent in writers Bryan Kelly and Soren Rivero, but to a lack of commitment in delivery of the material itself. Touching monologues on the nature of love and loneliness were lost to a rushed pace. My advice would be to take a breath, and indulge in the exquisite writing. This would help with the clarity of the plot and the role of the magician. 

There is obvious talent here in regards to choreography, magic, and writing. What this show needs now is organization, a clearer connection between the motifs and themes as they relate to the definition of the plot, and confidence! By the end of this show, I was swept up into the atmosphere, into the soldering of different cultures as we were invited to dance onstage, and most effectively into the earnestness of the cast and crew. Moments from this show found in the magician’s dialogue will stay with me indefinitely, especially the section about being in love, and how maybe we aren’t meant to survive it…how perhaps surrendering to love is the act of being tamed…all of which recalls to mind the endearing theme of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s “The Little Prince”, one of my favorite stories and a real possible influence on this show. 

While my seat neighbor had scathing remarks to make that I will not repeat here, after reflection, analysis, and inclusion of how this show made me feel by the end, I have to say that I wholeheartedly disagree with them. While this production is very much in the workshop stage, I think with some elaboration to exposition, technical adjustments to blocking and lighting, and a great deal of polishing, this is going to be quite the unique show. I’ve never seen an attempt like it, and maybe that is my reasoning for being less bothered by its imperfections…after all, when it comes to love, aren’t we all unpolished?