Cameron Basden

Diego Salterini, co-director of DanceNow! Miami, doesn't miss a beat when he speaks about the impact that arts has on our society. "The artists are the visionaries. Art is what drives the world and pushes it forward; to envision what is not thought of, what is not yet imagined. The world will be at a stand still without art."

Italian born Salterini and co-director, Hannah Baumgarten united their voices and choreographic talents to create "Bridges Not Walls" a visual response to the unrelenting war on the arts, immigration and the questionable policies that the current administration provokes.

Native Californian, often times visiting Jerusalem, Baumgarten says, "In this piece, we worked together in the studio, finishing each other's sentences, so to speak. I think it was a call to the necessity of this work. We felt the same way about the subject matter. Everyone has such raw nerves right now. It's not hard to find the words (movement) to talk about it. The global climate is so much about who we are and trying to prevent this 'us versus them atmosphere'."

"Bridges Not Walls" will have its Miami premier Friday, March 24 at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center in a program entitled "Contemporanea" that also includes the Jose Limon masterpiece, "Ritmo Jondo."

The "Bridges" project was originally conceived over a year ago as a collaboration with a dance company in Mexico, an opportune exchange. Building the "wall" was already in discussion and the noise was there. This was a project about how the common language of dance could cross barriers and build bridges anywhere. The team thought about "what are the bridges and what are the walls?"

"We wanted to create something that would withstand time, would speak to many situations. Walls are often created around ourselves by saying, this is who I am. I am white, I am gay, I am Republican, Democrat." Salterini says.

Baumgarten jumps in, "It's natural to identify ourselves, to define ourselves. We wanted not to demonize that. It's a human need to know what is different, perhaps to even be afraid of what is different."

Saltarini adds: "We wanted to create bridges by changing this external declaration. For it to become, I am hurt, I am hungry, I am in pain. When we get out of our external shields, in our differences, we're really all the same."

With Baumgarten's volatile and edgy power united with Salterini's organic and visual sense,the duo has created a timeless piece with an evolution of sections that utilize their own blended strengths as choreographers and passions as individuals. A heartfelt women's section of understanding and patience, men in a powerful tribal war, a refugee woman's solo seeing the world shifting around her, a duet of forbidden love, the journey of moving forward, and the exuberance of finding unity and solidarity that we all strive for.

A collaboration with videographer Francisco Javier Moraga Escalonato will provide background imagery during the piece that is intended to inform and blend with the dance sections, sometimes giving hints or providing new context.

"Bridges" resonates very personally for the dancers. Luke Stockton dances a riveting and intense solo to the words of "Home," a poem by Somali poet, Warsan Shire that hits home. He said, "This piece takes me back to my personal issues of coming out as a gay man. That constant fight of not being heard. Dance gave me a powerful voice that I didn't have and this piece reflects that for me."

African American, Benicka Grant relates to the feeling of being taken away from your country, of needing to leave something or someone behind. "We are all involved in everything that is going on right now. I think this work very important and everyone will relate in some way."

"We're trying to show that these are constant states of human beings. This is not just about America and Mexico, this is not just about what is going on with Syria, this is universal. It's been going on between human beings forever." Baumgarten says. "Barack Obama said in one of his last speeches, 'We must guard against the tribalism that is us versus them and dance can do that."

DanceNow! Miami performs "Contemporanea" Friday, March 24 at 8:30 p.m. at the Aventura Arts Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188th St. Aventura, FL 33180 Tickets $35. www.tinyurl.com/ContempoDance or call (877) 311-7469.