The presence of the CND in Barcelona is always received with great expectation. It was lot of time ago by now since we had the pleasure of having any of the two companies in our region and because of that and as the main troupe was premiering a new work from Nacho Duato, the catalonian audience enthusiastically responded to the appointment at the “Teatre Auditori de Sant Cugat”. News in the staff, new dancers and “old” well known ones that left the company but have joined it again.  

Three choreographies were shown: Wings of wax, Gnawa, and the premiere, Hevel, Nacho Duato's new piece with electronic music of Pedro Alcalde and Sergio Caballero, that evokes death, disappearance and disintegration of the body.

Wings of wax, Jiri Kylian’s work created in 1997 and premiered by the CND last year in Valladolid, opened the show. It is inspired in Icarus’ myth and with music from Heinrich von Biber, John Cage, Philip Glass and Johann Sebastian Bach (with arrangement for string trio of Dimitri Sitkovetsky). A big death tree showing its roots hangs up upside down from the centre of the stage, maybe it suggests the world opposite, dancers performing in the sky, are they flying as Icarus with wings of wax? A big lighted on focus turns and turns while the eight CND dancers, wearing black, appear from the bottom. Maybe it is the sun melting their wings with its light while they are dancing to leave them afterwards in a semi-darkness. In any case it is a pleasure to see them dancing this typical work of the best Kylian, so extremely musical of great beauty and expressiveness. All have their time to show off, males with jumps and energetic movements in their solos and female in a calmer but very demanding way in the so beautiful duos or in their collective appearances.

The second piece was Gnawa by Duato, mediterranean, with music from out of our borders but "Mediterránea" after all and related to it, faithful to the original work from whom it takes some parts and to that style who is Duato’s clearly one. A magnificent corps, Clyde Archer's solo and the duo formed by Tamako Akiyama and Dimo Kirilov specially stressing, what a wonderful portées!, Tamako subtle crossing the stage, flying, thanks to the beauty created by Nacho and the good job done by Dimo as partenaire.

also specially achieved the "pas à trois", wonderfully performed and that groups that are done and undone in a very beautiful choreography of the most genuine Duato. A great pleasure to have the opportunity to appreciate it again even if it is in a revision and in a short version, this is something we ask to Nacho Duato, that he allows to recover to the ones who already saw them years ago as well as to the new audiences to whom it was not possible, that jewels of his beginning, something he did in the celebration of his ten years with the Company and what we think he should periodicallydo;  Raptus, Lamento, Synaphai, Ecos, Cero sobre Cero, … please Nacho, we are eager to see them again on stage.

And the premiere, the surprise, Hevel, that we could range as an evolution and consolidation of the line he started with Herrumbre, music of the same composers, but in which it is difficult to recognize Duato’s style. The spectacular mobile structure created by architect and usual collaborator of Nacho, Jaafar Chalabi, is the main protagonist, dancers move it and use it to hang them on, as inert bodies or so that it absorbs them, isolates them, mistreat them… Dark piece, even more obscure than it is usual on him, it leaves no place to lyricism or delicacy. Hate, contempt, dead, mistreat, destruction. A primitive man, with no sense, with no compassion, dancers dragging on the ground, in crown growing and crushing the weak, they evolve mainly lean on the linoleum, the music is reduced to sharp hits, hard chords, in line with the message, with the cold structure on iron, with the hard choreography.

The less kind piece one has seen of our more world renowned choreographer. But his dancers are fabulous, versatile they adapt to anything they are required to do, they have demonstrated it a lot of times, they are able to perform any interpretative register they are asked.

The audience largely applauded every one of the works being especially effusive at the end, when all artists implied in the premiere appeared on stage to bow surrounding a happy and radiant Nacho.

And in addition, this auditorium also offers the possibility to attend a rehearsal of the company some hours before the performance. On Friday they rehearsed Gnawa, but with some changes in the cast that will be performing at night. Audience uses to arrive long before and queues, tickets are free and not numbered. There are no problems even if there are lots of people wishing to see the CND team working. When we got in dancers were warming with their teachers Hervé Palito, Yoko Taira, Tomás Klein and Nacho himself with them on stage.

As the rehearsal started some dancers came to the stalls to also see their colleagues work, lights off and with Nacho Duato giving instructions Gnawa began to be rehearsed. He was very attentive to all details, a public exercise that allowed to appreciate the exigency but also one could notice, in the few remarks he did, the calm and respectful way he uses to address to his dancers.

some typical, stop, stop… " Can I see this, please? Can I see this again?" Some jokes very well received by audience, a lot of children among, very relaxed environment all leading to know a bit more about Nacho Duato. A really happy initiative that is always very welcome.

On the occasion of this premiere in Barcelona we had the opportunity to raise him some questions, only few, he was extremely demanded because of his presence in Catalonia so, we thank him very much for the time he deserved us and we include it as colophon at the end of the article together with an unpublished interview made in year 2002 by a dance student as part as a work she made about the CND at the end of her High School Degree that we hope will be of your interest, we thank Carola Alexandre for his collaboration.

Interview to Nacho Duato

S- Dancers of the Company, do you always hire them through an audition?

ND- Always. The CND being a state Company every dancer whishing to join us has to pass an audition.

S- ¿No ha habido nunca ningún bailarín/ina que te hubiera gustado tener en la Compañía y con el que hayas contactado directamente?

ND- Si, por supuesto, pero en cualquier caso tiene que hacer la audición.

S- All CND dancers have a very high level and dance a lot even in solos or "pas à deux", but there still are principals, first dancers, etc.. why?

ND-These are categories we have inherited from the past. In fact they all can dance everything. It is also true that there are dancers with a specific weight in the CND that they have acquired along the time, because of their work and their indubitable quality..

S- Choreographies. Do you have a preferred one?

ND-No, all have a part of me inside. Maybe, Jardí Tancat; it was my first one.

S- Any one you are not satisfyed with?

ND- I assume that ones are better than other, it depends on so many things. Ones have been more appreciated, and other don’t or not so much but it is as it is. I have created all of them in a specific moment and better or worse, I’m satisfied with all. 

S- Any one you think it is more difficult to dance?

ND-I think that what is really difficult is to put oneself in the role. To transmit. I agree that in dance, this can not be achieved without a strong base of technique. From that point of view, all are difficult. Without communicating there is nothing.

S- Do you change something sometimes depending on the country you are performing?

ND- No, never. The only changes I can make are because of the size of the stage, etc.

S- In music you are now working very often with Pedro Alcalde and Sergio Caballero, the use of this music leads to less lyric, less classical choreographies, Hével being a very different thing, is Nacho Duato in a new era ?

ND-Since I created “Jardi Tancat” in 1983 to now my work has logically changed, I try to exceed myself each time I undertake a new project. With more than 60 premieres up to now it is normal that my style and my vocabulary are different.  The change started time ago and it has slowly developed. With firm steps and clear ideas.

S- Choreographies that are premiered but do not tour, i.e. Aluminio, Quiebro,… why?

ND- It is logical that when we tour specially abroad, producers and theater managers want to see my work performed by the CND. These are choreographies that can only be seen performed by my dancers and that no other company in the world has in their repertory. This is why we only dance works of other choreographers in Spain because normally other companies also have them.

S- A Theater for the Dance, do you still fight for it? There were rumors about that if you didn’t get one you will leave and that if you leave you will take with you all choreographies you have created for the CND, what is the truth on this?

ND- Yes. This is something I still have the illusion to get. I think that one day this dream will come true, but with a lot of patience and in a not very close future. I get sad to see how people talk without knowing and that they make declarations of this kind. In the case that I left the CND, my successor would be somebody very close to me and with the aim to follow (in the same line) the work we have done up to now and that with so much effort we have reached. So that my works continue to be performed even if I’m not the director, as it happens with so many cases all around the world: Kylian, M. Graham. Bejart. Mats Ek, etc......what has to be clear is that at the end the work of the CND is and will be part of the cultural heritage of our country.

S- The CND2 was one of your objectives and you got it. You look very happy with the results, how did the idea arise?

ND- I have been thinking about this from many years ago. I think that there is a gap between conservatories and professional companies: Dancers do not finish their training with enough knowledge to be able to immediately join a professional company. It is that gap we try to fill. We train dancers so that this change is not so sharp. It is also a good reserve for the main company.

S- Are you always present in dancers selection?

ND- Of course, I’m in all auditions.

S- What elements have more weight when choosing a dancer: technique, expression, attitude, a personal interview... ?

ND- They must have a solid classical technique, musicality, command and control of their body and, over all of this, motivation and be eager to learn.

S- Did you find dancers that can not bear your work pace or that discover that this is not for them?

ND-Yes and no matter. They come, they see what it is, they try and they decide. If they do not try they will never know. From the first promotion, a girl decided to give up dancing and she is now studying in the university, another is now in Spanish dance..

S- IT Dansa managed by Catherine Allard, your muse, has two choreographies of yours in their repertory, have you attended any of their performances or any of their rehearsals? Is their work similar to the CND2 one ?

ND-Yes, it is and I have attended both rehearsals and performances. Maybe IT Dansa has a more modern repertory but the philosophy is the same. Catherine is carrying out a very interesting job in Barcelona and results are palpable. It is a reserve of very good dancers.

S- We premiered fotoescena with Herrumbre in the Liceu and the CND has occupied a honor place in both our magazine and forum where it counts with lots of admirers, do you know our magazine? Do you read us in the magazine or the forum?

ND-Yes, I know your magazine and like it a lot..

Thanks so much for his words and see you soon!

By fotoescena, © 2008 Carolina Masjuan & Carola Alexandre

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