Love Arthur Aviles! He's at Dance Theater Workshop this week and next, and the company was reviewed by Anna Kisselgoff in the NYTimes monday.
In "Arturella," he has choreographed a not-so-campy take on "Cinderella" set in a Puerto Rican ghetto. There is plenty of Mr. Aviles to see. He likes to take his clothes off, and the nudity is frontal and otherwise. "Arturella" also has a gay pride message, and Mr. Aviles, in the title role, eventually finds his prince in a long smooch.. . .
"Arturella" is hilarious and more than community outreach. You don't have to live in a Puerto Rican neighborhood to appreciate the authenticity of Mr. Aviles' humorous dance-theater tale. The actress Elizabeth Marrero takes on multiple roles with typical sass. The stepsisters are a man, Alberto Denis and a woman, Keila Cordova.
As the prince, Jorge Merced has a shaved head that matches Mr. Aviles'. Three mice are played by Ms. Koga, Juan Antonio Perez and a kindergarten student, Miranda Benitez. Children and nudity might not mix for everyone, but the context in which taboos exist is also important. In this case these taboos have obviously been broken.