"The voice can be the difference between power and impotence," says Spanish choreographer Rafael Bonachela, revealing the theme of his latest highly-charged double bill.

"A while ago, I met a black guy selling lighters on the beach. He was young, beautiful, a university graduate from Africa and the loveliest man I've met. He had thrown himself onto a boat to be smuggled to Spain in awful, dangerous conditions not knowing whether he would make it alive.

"Obviously borders need to be controlled but talking to this guy, I felt so lucky I didn't have to go through that. I find it fascinating that people will risk their life for their freedom and this was the inspiration for my work."

Bonachela's two provocative pieces are linked by the theme of the voice as an instrument of power.

The first piece of the evening is entitled Aotlak, meaning "voices" in Basque. It explores walls or borders, real and imaginary, that restrict us.

Set to Luciano Berio's haunting vocal composition, Naturale, it features viola, tam-tam and taped voice.

"I was totally transfixed by Berio's piece when I first heard it," recalls Bonachela. "He recorded the voice of a gipsy in a market in Palermo, Italy, and it has real theatrical power. It is not easy listening but it took me on a whole trip of emotions through passion, tenderness, desperation and even brutality."

Aotlak sees dancers performing within confined spaces, with walls on stage to restrict their freedom.

Bonachela says: "I don't dictate the meaning of the work because I feel the more I try to explain it, the less people take from it. Aotlak could represent anywhere where people are confined - Cuba, Korea or Palestine or it could represent emotional or psychological restriction."

The second piece, Set Boundaries, is a stylish exploration of confinement and escape played out to a dramatic new score from electronic pioneer Matthew Herbert. It is set to Alan Seeger's poem Rendezvous With Death and features the voice of a Kurdish asylum seeker.

Bonachela says: "The famous choral group, The Sixteen, recorded Matthew Herbert's work. It uses the sounds of bullets and tornados as well as the testimony of a refugee from Kazakhstan who was waiting to be deported. Some of the dancers were crying when they first heard it."

Committed to innovation, Rafael Bonachela is a much sought-after choreographer, collaborating with filmmakers, rock bands and cultural icons from Primal Scream to Kylie Minogue.

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