52Blue

What happens when we don’t seem to speak each other’s language? And is life even bearable when no one else is around? 52Blue is a music and dance solo that unravels human relationships, inspired by the loneliest whale in the world.

Whales sing to survive, to mate, to pass the time, and sometimes just because, for no reason at all. 52 Blue is a whale that sings at a frequency of 52 hertz. That sound differs so strongly from that of other whales that its call may go unanswered. For the Brazilian creator and performer Francisco Thiago Cavalcanti, this touches on a familiar feeling. He has a diagnosis on the autism spectrum and knows how complicated connecting with others can sometimes be.

Just as lonely as the whale, he sings and dances on stage. He embodies the animal that cannot live among the others because it doesn’t fit in. A great whale, blue and alone, singing a song that cannot be heard. It is sad, but also hopeful and beautiful. A sound that can move us to tears.