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Fusion in
dance, when done brilliantly, can produce powerful works that take
the best of two or more separate influences to form something
ecstatic and new. Nacho Duato, the director of Spain’s
Compañía
Nacional de Danza,
has created a unique style that combines classical ballet with
contemporary technique and traditional Spanish music. A
chance to see the company on their 20th anniversary tour, when
they stop to perform at the Guggenheim on May 17th.
Duato trained
with Jiri Kilian at the Nederlands Dans Theater and then
took over the
Compañía
in 1990.
He cut the company down to 35 dancers and within a few short years
created a vibrant repertory. His dances have been included in the repertories
of American Ballet Theatre, Hubbard Street, and San Francisco
Ballet. In one of Duato’s most powerful pieces
Por Vos Muero,
six couples come together, whirl around and part again. The
dance, set to 15th and 16th century Spanish music, symbolizes the
interplay between barbarity and civilization. In other
pieces, Duato incorporates lesser-known aspects of Spanish
culture, such as the music of renowned Basque accordionist Kepa
Junkera. In
Rassemblement,
Duato sets a powerful duet to a modern idiom and Haitian music by
Toto Bissainthe.
Multiplicity,
Forms of Silence and Emptiness
is a stirring evening-length
piece inspired by Johann Sebastian Bach’s life and work.
At the
Guggenheim next month a wonderful opportunity to see the company;
excerpts from the repertory will be performed, followed by a
discussion with Duato himself.
Explore:
Compañía
Nacional de Danza
Buy:
Tickets for
the show
at the Guggenheim
Tags:
dance museums
spain
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