Audience participation: Individuals are allowed to touch the clear Mylar pool where four females perform the sensual aquatic sequence in ‘Fuerza Bruta’ (Photos by ROWENA JOY A. SANCHEZ)

MANILA, Philippines — With an approach as unconventional as in “Fuerza Bruta,” a show that originated from Argentina, you’ll never know what to expect, yet it allows you to make whatever you want out of it.

A show that combines acrobatics, dance (whether on solid ground or in the 45-foot clear bottom tilting pool), and theater, among others, “Fuerza Bruta” (which literally means “brute force”) is a visual aphrodisiac overall. It’s a 360-degree astounding experience that electrifies the senses, rousing various emotions with every movement of the actors.

There is no actual stage or even seats for the audience, which just adds to the suspense and fluidity of the show. Interactive as it is, the audience was engulfed by the whole experience, often asked to move around, dance, and touch some props, like a metallic curtain. At one point, the actors themselves went to the audience and selected individuals on whom they smashed a styrofoam panel with confetti.

It was as if the whole Manila Hotel Tent was transported into a different world for one solid hour. “Fuerza Bruta” is a show that takes you on a journey like that in dreams, often surreal and short of cohesiveness, yet enjoyable nonetheless.

What somehow ties “Fuerza Bruta” is the man on the giant treadmill—which splits the audience floor in two—who appears at the beginning and the end of the show. He kept running on the machine despite so many objects and people being thrust his way. He was even shot at some points, yet he kept going.

Undoubtedly, the major highlight in "Fuerza Bruta" is the aquatic sequence involving four female performers. With thin, sparse outfits, they danced gracefully like mermaids on the Mylar-made suspended pool, which, at some points, was lowered to allow the audience to touch the clear plastic base (and, in a way, the swimmers themselves).

Save for some shouting by the actors, the show is generally non-verbal. Yet the motions of the actors spoke their own language, as if the whole show was a ritual, engaging the audience to liberate their emotions.

Technically, the various sequences in “Fuerza Bruta” were executed with ease and sophistication. Multiple colors lighted the venue, adding to the dreamy vibe. Take note, however, that those with sensitive eyes might have trouble with the strobe lights used in some sequences.

En toto, the show may also serve as opportunity to appreciate dance music, which permeated the entire venue.

Created by Diqui James with music composed by Gaby Kerpel, “Fuerza Bruta” has wowed audiences in Argentina, England, Germany, Mexico, Spain, Brazil, Russia, Taiwan, Israel, and United States.

“Fuerza Bruta” runs until March 26, 2012 at the Manila Hotel Tent.  For inquiries, call the Manila Hotel concierge at 320-11-11.