Caperucita Roja

Jury Statement by Raphael Moussa Hillebrand and Mila Lipicar
A solo performance as an artistic act of self-empowerment.

In her self-devised solo “Caperucita Roja”, Renata Flores delivers a powerful and deeply moving stage experience. Using the well-known figure of Little Red Riding Hood as a starting point, she constructs a multilayered autobiographical narrative in which the mythical and the personal, the vulnerable and the defiant, the playful and the political engage in a rich artistic dialogue.

Renata reclaims the fairytale structure by rewriting the story – using her own body as the medium. What unfolds on stage is an existential expression of inner experience. She weaves together dance, music, lighting, set design, and costume into a cohesive and poetic “Gesamtkunstwerk”. Each element is considered, precisely placed, and enhances the emotional and narrative force of the performance.

Her physical presence and command of theatrical language are particularly striking. Through dance that tells, resists, defends, and provokes, Renata enters into a conscious dialogue with the carefully curated music and the evocative stage design, where personally and emotionally charged objects are placed.

Renata fills and uses the entire stage space, changing it and her costume as her personal story demands. The interplay between forceful movement and moments of stillness creates emotional resonance and immediacy that both touches and challenges the audience. What distinguishes this work is not only its technical and aesthetic strength but its authenticity.

Most notable is the autobiographical dimension and its transformative impact. Renata draws strength from her personal history, crafting an artistic form that reaches far beyond the individual. She opens spaces of identification, especially for young people grappling with themes such as self-determination, othering, role expectations, and the power that can coexist with vulnerability.

“Caperucita Roja” is more than a solo – it is a choreographic act of self-assertion, an invitation to shift perspective, and a powerful statement on the expressive potential of young dance artists. Renata Flores demonstrates with this piece how dance can become a political, biographical, and poetic medium all at once. Her work moves – in every sense of the word.

With “Caperucita Roja”, the jury honours a performance that is artistically distinct, conceptually precise, and emotionally resonant. Renata Flores emerges as a remarkable voice in contemporary dance – courageous, honest, and entirely her own.