The Superarit project offers a safe space to talk about gender violence.

▲ Carlos Franco, the company's director, said the production was created to give voice to the performers and those who have been subjected to sexism. Photo by Roberto Espinoza

Daniel López Aguilar

La Jornada Newspaper, Friday, May 2, 2025, p. 5

Superarit goes beyond dance and becomes a deeply human artistic act that exposes the struggle, pain, and resilience of women in the face of gender-based violence.

Created and directed by Carlos Franco, the play will be presented this weekend at the Raúl Flores Canelo Theater of the National Center for the Arts (Cenart), as part of the celebration of the five-year history of the Unum Corpus Creaciones Escénicas company.

Divided into four choreographic segments, the production addresses manifestations of violence against women and the responses that arise in the face of these attacks, inviting reflection on the normalization of this suffering in everyday life.

Carlos Franco, founder and director of Unum Corpus, explained that this production was created with the goal of giving a voice to the company's performers and to those who have been subjected to a system that renders them invisible.

“I heard stories from women trapped in abusive marriages and wondered why they stayed there. The answers were always the same: 'What would people think if I separated?' When my mother left my father because of violence, society criticized her for not keeping quiet and enduring,” the choreographer added in an interview with La Jornada.

The staging is structured around the female experience, in which the performers, Viridiana Barbosa, Aiko Agustín, Stephany Montesinos and Fernando Dávila, in addition to dancing, give voice to the stories of women who finally dare to break the silence.

Violence is not only physical, it is also emotional, psychological, social... it is part of a structure that permeates our daily lives , Franco said.

Throughout Unum Corpus's five-year history, Superarit has supported the company's growth. Carlos Franco recalled that its creation was a painful and cathartic process for everyone involved.

Each rehearsal was emotionally draining. It was difficult to learn how to release what we experienced on stage without dragging it out. Thus, this work captures both the performers' experiences and the emotional tensions generated by tackling such a profound and heartbreaking subject , the director commented.

"What makes this choreography unique compared to other proposals on gender violence is its ability to generate a space for dialogue with the audience. After each performance, attendees approach the company members to share their experiences.

It's magical to see how women feel free to open their hearts and express things they've never dared to before. This is one of the most valuable aspects of creation: offering a safe space where people can talk about things they've kept bottled up for so long.

With this proposal, Unum Corpus takes on the challenge of not offering closed answers or simplistic solutions. It doesn't seek to resolve gender-based violence from the stage, but rather encourages collective reflection.

We don't have all the answers, but we believe it's urgent to talk about what makes us uncomfortable. We want viewers to ask themselves if we truly live in the society we long for or if we prefer to look the other way. We live in an environment that shouts out many things but silences others. Our duty is not to remain silent , concluded Carlos Franco.

Superarit will be performed today and tomorrow at 7:00 PM, and on Sunday at 6:00 PM at the Raúl Flores Canelo Theater, in the Cenart (Río Churubusco 79, Country Club Churubusco neighborhood). Tickets cost 150 pesos.

Merry MacMasters

La Jornada Newspaper, Friday, May 2, 2025, p. 5

The Carrera de las Artes (CA) will have a second edition on May 18, which will be accompanied by artistic activities on the 16th and 17th of the same month in the green areas of the National Center for the Arts (Cenart), an organizing body in collaboration with the National Film Library of the Arts, Channel 22 (which will broadcast the race), the Mexico City Sports Institute and the System of Support for Cultural Creation and Projects.

Last year, the CA had 2,450 registered runners. Now we're looking to reach 3,000 runners , said Raúl Uribe, director of artistic programming at Cenart. The six-kilometer race will run along the central lanes of Río Churubusco, from the Cineteca Nacional de las Artes to Cuauhtémoc Avenue, near the Cineteca Nacional de Xoco, and back.

At the end, around 9 a.m., there will be an awards ceremony for both the women's and men's categories.

The art festival is titled Nenikíkamen!, a Greek word that refers to the moment when the concept of a marathon was born.

The CA is a unique event, as it brings together the values ​​of sport and art, Uribe said. In 2024 , we discovered several similarities between art and sport; for example, teamwork is common to both practices, as is the discipline required for training and preparation .

The first edition took place in one day; now, the festival will kick off on Friday the 16th with the screening of a sports-themed film—yet to be announced—in the green areas of the Cenart.

On Saturday the 17th, activities will take place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on two stages: the Circus Pavilion and the CA Pavilion. The festival will feature performances at the Circus Pavilion by clown Jesús Chucho Díaz; Valentina Barrios, with a children's musical program; the trombone ensemble from the Higher School of Music; Tania Matus, a bolero and salsa singer; and Mike Sandoval, with jazz.

On the CA stage, you'll be able to hear composer Nur Slim give a participatory concert for children, a selection of choreographies performed by students from the National School of Classical and Contemporary Dance, as well as the theatrical monologue "Still Life" by Remedios Varo, and electronic music by Jen Totk.

For María Romero, CA coordinator, this experience represents a unique connection between artistic expression and sport . After registering in the individual category, each participant will have the option to register in the Team or Costume categories. The prize for the best costume will be a one-year double pass to the Cineteca. Second place will receive a nine-month voucher, and third place, a six-month voucher. Cenart will award prizes in the Team category.

Registration costs 555 pesos and is open at https://carreradelasartes.com.mx .