Peel the Onion

Peel the Onion is a contemporary dance solo/performance created and performed by Clara da Costa, inviting the audience to a sensory and reflective experience on identity, human relationships, and non-verbal communication. The piece explores how the body becomes a mirror of emotions and social dynamics, revealing hidden layers of our essence.

The metaphor of „peeling the onion“ represents the process of self-discovery and the deconstruction of social masks. Through the tonicity and repetition of movements, the performance physically translates the tensions, resistances, and liberations that are part of this internal journey. The dance, accompanied by live music, creates an immersive atmosphere where sound interacts with movement, intensifying emotions and the sensory impact of the piece.

Developed initially at Espaço Tápias, Peel the Onion was further deepened with the support of Tanec Praha during an artistic residency at Ponec Theatre in Prague, where it had its premiere. The collaboration with these institutions played a crucial role in shaping the piece, providing an environment for artistic research and refinement.

Its impact goes beyond the aesthetics of movement, raising questions about how we communicate and perceive one another in the contemporary world. In a context where interactions are often mediated by social and digital conventions, the piece restores the power of the body and sound as universal languages. With pulsating movements and live music, the performance resonates, transforms, and provokes the audience to reflect on the depth of human connections.