JESUS CARMONA AND THE WORLD: WHEN ART DANCES WITH RESEARCH

Little by little, mental health is ceasing to be a taboo in our conversations, in the news or in fiction. The field of research and the artistic world have a lot to tell us, and tell each other, in this regard.

The best dancer in the world (Premio Benois de la Danse 2021), Jesús Carmona, participated today in a work session at the MUN with five researchers from the University, the Clinic and the Cima Universidad de Navarra. He did it to talk, among other things, about dissociative identity disorder, the starting point of the absolute premiere that he will present on September 26. It is Súper viviente, a show that reflects on mental health, co-produced by MUN and Compañía Jesús Carmona, with the support of the Community of Madrid. The artist shares stage direction with María Cabeza de Vaca. Tickets for the show are on sale at the box office and online.

Psychiatrist Enrique Aubá and psychologist Francesco de Lorenzi, from the Clínica Universidad de Navarra (CUN); Carmen Urpí, dedicated to artistic education, and Luis Humberto Eudave, to psychology, in the Faculty of Education and Psychology of the University of Navarra; and María Asunción Pastor, who has focused on neurology at CIMA, are the professionals who have contributed their points of view to the dancer.

"As time goes on, we need more accurate answers, more visions, more opinions to generate our own from them," explains Carmona about her interest in sitting down with them. If with El salto he wondered about his masculinity, and in Baile de bestias about his inner beasts, Carmona now completes a trilogy of self-knowledge. Con Súper viviente, he aims to find out who he is.

But how has this synergy been achieved? The director of Performing Arts and Music, Teresa Lasheras, says that "MUN's mission is to transform people through art". This purpose meets the interest of the University and the Clínica Universidad de Navarra regarding mental health, an area in which they are pioneers. In addition, the simplicity "with which MUN facilitates collaboration between academic and artistic research - continues Lasheras-. We have it in our house, which is something absolutely unique in the artistic scene". "They believed in that project from the very beginning. They helped me and gave me all the possibilities to do it", completes Carmona. And he underlines: "They have opened their doors to me without hesitation.

"This is a dialogue so that each one, from his discipline, can nuance, give contrast to this creation", says Dr. Enrique Aubá, psychiatrist. As for the specific contribution of his specialty, he indicates that a large part of psychopathology has to do "with the awareness of one's own self and with the awareness of one's own body". It also highlights the importance of reflection on identity, a key element in artistic interpretation, as the ability to embody "another identity, another personality".

For his part, Luis Humberto Eudave, from the Faculty of Education and Psychology, emphasizes that studying dissociative disorders through cognitive neuroscience helps to understand "how the usual alterations of these patients in emotional processing, memory or attention they relate to changes in brain functioning". These alterations, he maintains, "can be translated and manifested through Jesús Carmona's show".

Carmen Urpí (artistic education) agrees on the latter, who highlights how a "co-creative" proposal of this type can "bring the issue of mental health closer to the general public". In fact, CUN psychologist Francesco de Lorenzi values his participation in this initiative as "the opportunity to see how clinical and psychological language can be translated into artistic expression, and how the public can be led to a more empathic and visceral understanding of these disorders".

"I see in this project a unique opportunity to unite psychology and art in an effort to de-stigmatize mental disorders", continues de Lorenzi. And he values the power that art has to touch people "in a way that psychiatry or traditional psychology cannot always", so it takes the opportunity to "explore new ways to communicate and humanize the experiences related to these disorders".

María Asunción Pastor, from Cima Universidad de Navarra, makes her contribution from neuroscience, thanks to research in motor control and learning. "At the Summit, we have always been interested in seeing brain plasticity with learning, through functional magnetic resonance techniques, even during aging. Jesús Carmona considers how the physical deficiencies of aging, for example, affect the psyche. How do they affect our personality, which adapts or transforms with the relationship between different societies and social groups. What weight does the own personality or the group have", he explains. And he thinks that this MUN initiative has "a huge appeal" by offering "a practical interdisciplinary dialogue between artists and researchers from various fields in the humanities and sciences about an original dance work that is being developed".

The relationship between Carmona and the MUN, however, is not new. Already in 2021, the dancer took to his stage with Baile de bestias, from which moment, the artist says, the relationship has been very good and, in fact, he hopes that it “continues to grow”. "The human part is what would stand out the most. That made Baile de bestia a success", he confesses. In addition, the university context presents itself as an ideal environment for an artist, interested in the young public, and looking for an exploration of new aesthetics and artistic forms within flamenco.

Súper viviente is part of the VII edition of Museo en Danza. Another of the great figures included in this program is the new director of the Compañía Nacional de Danza, Muriel Romero (Instituto Stocos) with the absolute premiere of Incubatio. Until August 31, there is a 15% discount for advance sales for all proposals. In addition, you can purchase a season ticket for Súper viviente, La Argentina en Paris (Antonio Najarro Company) and Go Figure (Sharon Fridman Company).

Museo en Danza positions the MUN as a center of reference for contemporary dance, including works of new creation, thanks to synergies of this type and artistic residencies that promote communication between artists, researchers from different fields and the university community.