If you thought you knew her, look again through the senses of the Tskurishvillis, Paata and Irina and the Synetic Theater. This performance of Carmen gives the audience theatrics, dance, music, and visual art in fully integrated richness.

Ben Cunis is joined by the ensemble in muscling their bodies through contortions on a metallic apparatus surrounding the stage constraining the dancers to high states of exactness.

Dancers toned bodies are strewn about, appearing at times to be stuck on stage hardware like an abstract painting while they contort to the violin of Rafael Jaradov. Jaradov played violin while himself moving with dancer’s grace about performers who come close to colliding with his bow moving across strings with unflinching precision.

Scott Brown’s facial expressions made the Lieutenant character.

Roger Payano combined powerful dancing and acting presence as Garcia.

Vato Tskurishvilli may have been typecast as the bull as he was so well suited.

Welcome too Shannon Dorsey as new member with the ensemble in which Courtney Pauroso appeared as energetic and graceful as ever.

Dancers also provided percussion by beating sticks against the mechanical framework. A touch of Russian added with Espana and contemporary addition of sunglasses to the heroin dealer sparkled among the sparklers.