MEDIART PRODUCTIONS collaborating with the following choreographers

POR VOS MUERO

World premiere 11 April  1996, Compañía Nacional de Danza, teatro de Madrid.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Jordi Savall
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel
Texto Garcilaso de la Vega
Voz: Miguel Bosé

Duato has inspired in old Spanish music of XV and XVI centuries together with some of the most beautiful verses of the Spanish poet Garcilaso de la Vega. Music and poetry connect the obvious contemporary dance of Por Vos Muero to his historic reference.

In XV and XVI centuries dances formed part of the cultural expression of people, including all social hierarchies, and therefore they produced a honest reflection of culture of that time. Por Vos Muero wants to pay a tribute to the very important role that dance played in every sort of social event during those ancient times.

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

POR VOS MUERO

World premiere 11 April  1996, Compañía Nacional de Danza, teatro de Madrid.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Jordi Savall
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel
Texto Garcilaso de la Vega
Voz: Miguel Bosé

Duato has inspired in old Spanish music of XV and XVI centuries together with some of the most beautiful verses of the Spanish poet Garcilaso de la Vega. Music and poetry connect the obvious contemporary dance of Por Vos Muero to his historic reference.

In XV and XVI centuries dances formed part of the cultural expression of people, including all social hierarchies, and therefore they produced a honest reflection of culture of that time. Por Vos Muero wants to pay a tribute to the very important role that dance played in every sort of social event during those ancient times.

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

POR VOS MUERO

World premiere 11 April  1996, Compañía Nacional de Danza, teatro de Madrid.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Jordi Savall
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel
Texto Garcilaso de la Vega
Voz: Miguel Bosé

Duato has inspired in old Spanish music of XV and XVI centuries together with some of the most beautiful verses of the Spanish poet Garcilaso de la Vega. Music and poetry connect the obvious contemporary dance of Por Vos Muero to his historic reference.

In XV and XVI centuries dances formed part of the cultural expression of people, including all social hierarchies, and therefore they produced a honest reflection of culture of that time. Por Vos Muero wants to pay a tribute to the very important role that dance played in every sort of social event during those ancient times.

GNAWA

World premiere 9 September 1993, Hubbard Street Dance Street ( Chicago-USA)

Premiere performance by the Hubbard Street Dance Chicago at the Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance, March 2005

Premiered by the Compañía Nacional de Danza 2 at the Teatro Gran Vía, Madrid, the 18th of April 2007

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: collage
Costumes: Luis Devota y Modesto Lomba
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

In 1992 in his home city of Valencia, Nacho Duato premiered Mediterrania, searching deeper into his roots and those of his forebears, and his sense of complicity with the Mediterranean Sea.

In Gnawa, premiered by the Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in 2005, the renowned choreographer has continued along the path he set out on with Mediterrania, seeking to transmit, through the medium of movement, the sensuality of the landscape, the true nature of its peoples. With a suggestive musical score replete with Spanish and North African sounds, Gnawa captivates its audience through its all-encompassing power and its sensual elegance, combining the spirituality and organic rhythm of the Mediterranean.

Gnawa is the name that receives in Morocco and other parts of the Magreb the members of different mystic Muslim brotherhoods characterized by their sub-saharian origin and the use of song, dances and syncretic rituals as a mean to reach ecstasy. This term also refers to a musical style of sub-saharian reminiscences practised by these brotherhoods or by musicians inspired by them. It is considered one of the main Moroccan Folklore genres.  

DUENDE

World premiere 21 November 1991, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague.

PREMIERE BY COMPAÑÍA NACIONAL DE DANZA AT THE TEATRO LÍRICO NACIONAL LA ZARZUELA, 11 DECEMBER, 1992

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Claude Debussy
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Costumes: Susan Unger
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

Duato’s ‘ideas’ for a choreography are almost always preceded by his choice in music, which characterises his working method. Maybe this applies to Duende in particular, because the music was the only source of inspiration for this ballet. Long ago Duato fell in love with Debussy, especially by the way the composer makes nature sound in music. When he listens to this music, Duato visualises shapes, not people, relationships or events. This is why he considers Duende as an almost sculptural work: a body, a movement, that goes with the tune.

Duende literally means elfs and fairies, like the ones who tidy up children’s toys at night, but it can also mean rascal, a naughty child. One can also possess duende, when radiating energy and great charm, almost having a magical attraction. In Andalusia it is said flamenco has duende, which can hardly be translated into another language. Flamenco has a touch of spell, one might say, like the way black music has ‘soul’.

At the beginning of twentieth century Debussy was an unknown composer, and the public was suddenly listening to absolutely different sounds .Strange, beautiful and magical, as they must have been, these sounds have identified his complex cultural roots. Debussy’s music reveals classic and romantic origins apart from connections with lay music, the folk songs, Arab, eastern and slave cultures, and even with jazz.

Classicism may simply be explained as consecrated to form. In this sense, Romanticism is usually defined as the expression of emotions. However, the relationship between Debussy and these two concepts is not always as simple. Form and emotion are always present in his music, but more as the result of a process of insinuation than one of definition. In one of his rules for composers, Debussy wrote: “Discipline must be looked for in freedom”, this could be considered his first command.

Debussy is frequently identified with the impressionist artistic movement: but whereas painters like Monet gave a great importance to light, Debussy was mainly interested by the quality and effect of sound. Comments of Debussy about Stravinsky were that “he was widening the borders of the allowed in the empire of sound”, and this could undoubtedly be referred to in his own work.

COR PERDUT

First performed by the Nederlands Dans Theater 2 in The Hague on 27 April, 1989

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet after M.J.Berberian
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Lighting Design: Nacho Duato

Cor Perdut is a duet inspired on the song Bir Demet Yasemen, in the catalonian version done by mallorcan singer María del Mar Bonet from the original theme by M.J. Berberian. “It is not worth to cry /it is not worth to die / since desire is much stronger / just follow its own path”, sings the wonderful voice of María del Mar Bonet, whose enchanting power dominates Duato´s piece who has created this choreography as a birthday gift to the singer. Following the syncopated and hypnotic rhythm of the tunisian percussions the dancers recreates the dynamic and expressive body vocabulary of the choreographer perfectly matching the fluidity and sensuality of the singer´s voice.

NA FLORESTA

World premiere 15 February 1990, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Heitor Villalobos ( Wagner Tisso)
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Lighting. Nicolás Fischtel

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

WITHOUT WORDS

World premiere 29 October 1998, American Ballet Theatre, City Center Theatre (New York).

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Franz Schubert
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Brad Fields

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

POR VOS MUERO

World premiere 11 April  1996, Compañía Nacional de Danza, teatro de Madrid.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Jordi Savall
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel
Texto Garcilaso de la Vega
Voz: Miguel Bosé

Duato has inspired in old Spanish music of XV and XVI centuries together with some of the most beautiful verses of the Spanish poet Garcilaso de la Vega. Music and poetry connect the obvious contemporary dance of Por Vos Muero to his historic reference.

In XV and XVI centuries dances formed part of the cultural expression of people, including all social hierarchies, and therefore they produced a honest reflection of culture of that time. Por Vos Muero wants to pay a tribute to the very important role that dance played in every sort of social event during those ancient times.

NA FLORESTA

World premiere 15 February 1990, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Heitor Villalobos ( Wagner Tisso)
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Lighting. Nicolás Fischtel

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

GNAWA

World premiere 9 September 1993, Hubbard Street Dance Street ( Chicago-USA)

Premiere performance by the Hubbard Street Dance Chicago at the Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance, March 2005

Premiered by the Compañía Nacional de Danza 2 at the Teatro Gran Vía, Madrid, the 18th of April 2007

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: collage
Costumes: Luis Devota y Modesto Lomba
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

In 1992 in his home city of Valencia, Nacho Duato premiered Mediterrania, searching deeper into his roots and those of his forebears, and his sense of complicity with the Mediterranean Sea.

In Gnawa, premiered by the Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in 2005, the renowned choreographer has continued along the path he set out on with Mediterrania, seeking to transmit, through the medium of movement, the sensuality of the landscape, the true nature of its peoples. With a suggestive musical score replete with Spanish and North African sounds, Gnawa captivates its audience through its all-encompassing power and its sensual elegance, combining the spirituality and organic rhythm of the Mediterranean.

Gnawa is the name that receives in Morocco and other parts of the Magreb the members of different mystic Muslim brotherhoods characterized by their sub-saharian origin and the use of song, dances and syncretic rituals as a mean to reach ecstasy. This term also refers to a musical style of sub-saharian reminiscences practised by these brotherhoods or by musicians inspired by them. It is considered one of the main Moroccan Folklore genres.  

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

COMING TOGETHER

World premiere by Compañía Nacional de Danza at Teatro de la Zarzuela, Madrid, 23 December 1991.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Frederic Rzewski(Coming Together)
Sets and Costumes: Nacho Duato
Light Design: Nicolás Fischtel

The turbulent repetition of musical structures and recited text from the Frederic Rzewski’s frantic composition provides with the accompaniment and counterpoint to an abstract work by Nacho Duato who uses his effervescence both to bring us closer to furious frenzy and hysterics, and as a contrast in his creation of oniric atmospheres. Both phenomenons appear alternatively as well as simultaneously as it could happen with the rhythms and sensations which develop within a big city.

The result, of an obvious comtemporary style, forces the spectator to focus his attention on the multiple changes of the choreographic process as well as on the system and structure of steps, instead of the ordinary descriptive and narrative elements.

Frederic Rzewski’s piece entitled Coming Together and Attica written for narrator and instruments, to be performed ad libitum in two parts, is of crucial importance in the history of repetitive music and not only because of its obvious influence on later pieces. Here the repetitive techniques and structuring are not an end in themselves but the means of creating a coherent musical, dramatic world. While this piece just like Rzewski’s other works makes use of improvisation and repetition it is also a committed work both in the social and the political sense. Rzewski managed to combine the political, ideological meaning of the text and the musical structure into a homogeneous whole by means of an original “minimal” idea.

The eight sentences from a letter by Sam Melville (a political prisoner killed in the 1971 Attica prison riots) are first narrated in an additive then in a deductive progression. The title of the piece is a reference to a sentence of the letter and to the technique of musical improvisation.

MULTIPLICITY, FORMS OF SILENCE AND EMPTINESS

World premiere at Viehauktionshalle ( Weimar-Germany), 23 April, 1999.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Johan Sebastian Bach (collage)
Sets: Jaffar Al Chalabi (based on an original idea of Nacho Duato)
Costumes: Nacho Duato (in collaboration with Ismael Aznar)
Light Design: Brad Fields

MULTIPLICITY is the result of the coproduction between the city of Weimar -European Cultural Capital in 1999-  and the CND. A ballet was commissioned to Nacho Duato which somehow had some special link with the city. For Duato the answer could only be one: Bach.  Nacho’s ballet is therefore inspired in the music and life of  Johan Sebastian Bach and is divided into two parts.

The first one, Multiplicity, is a choreographic reflexion which arises mainly from the wonderful music of the brilliant composer. This first part is characterized by a choreographic variety and diversity which matches the linked different musical excerpts by Bach. Continuos changes in costumes and settings highlight visually this musical collage.

The second part, Forms of silence and emptiness, maintains a more introspective tone, more mystic and spiritual, reflecting upon the subject of the death, so present in the work of Bach. Musically speaking it is based mainly on the Arte of Fugue.

DUENDE

World premiere 21 November 1991, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague.

PREMIERE BY COMPAÑÍA NACIONAL DE DANZA AT THE TEATRO LÍRICO NACIONAL LA ZARZUELA, 11 DECEMBER, 1992

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Claude Debussy
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Costumes: Susan Unger
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

Duato’s ‘ideas’ for a choreography are almost always preceded by his choice in music, which characterises his working method. Maybe this applies to Duende in particular, because the music was the only source of inspiration for this ballet. Long ago Duato fell in love with Debussy, especially by the way the composer makes nature sound in music. When he listens to this music, Duato visualises shapes, not people, relationships or events. This is why he considers Duende as an almost sculptural work: a body, a movement, that goes with the tune.

Duende literally means elfs and fairies, like the ones who tidy up children’s toys at night, but it can also mean rascal, a naughty child. One can also possess duende, when radiating energy and great charm, almost having a magical attraction. In Andalusia it is said flamenco has duende, which can hardly be translated into another language. Flamenco has a touch of spell, one might say, like the way black music has ‘soul’.

At the beginning of twentieth century Debussy was an unknown composer, and the public was suddenly listening to absolutely different sounds .Strange, beautiful and magical, as they must have been, these sounds have identified his complex cultural roots. Debussy’s music reveals classic and romantic origins apart from connections with lay music, the folk songs, Arab, eastern and slave cultures, and even with jazz.

Classicism may simply be explained as consecrated to form. In this sense, Romanticism is usually defined as the expression of emotions. However, the relationship between Debussy and these two concepts is not always as simple. Form and emotion are always present in his music, but more as the result of a process of insinuation than one of definition. In one of his rules for composers, Debussy wrote: “Discipline must be looked for in freedom”, this could be considered his first command.

Debussy is frequently identified with the impressionist artistic movement: but whereas painters like Monet gave a great importance to light, Debussy was mainly interested by the quality and effect of sound. Comments of Debussy about Stravinsky were that “he was widening the borders of the allowed in the empire of sound”, and this could undoubtedly be referred to in his own work.

WHITE DARKNESS

World premiere 16 November 2001, Compañía Nacional de Danza, Teatro de la Zarzuela de Madrid.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Karl Jenkins
Costumes: Lourdes Frías
Scenery: Jaafar Chalabi
Lighting: Joop Caboort

POR VOS MUERO

World premiere 11 April  1996, Compañía Nacional de Danza, teatro de Madrid.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Jordi Savall
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel
Texto Garcilaso de la Vega
Voz: Miguel Bosé

Duato has inspired in old Spanish music of XV and XVI centuries together with some of the most beautiful verses of the Spanish poet Garcilaso de la Vega. Music and poetry connect the obvious contemporary dance of Por Vos Muero to his historic reference.

In XV and XVI centuries dances formed part of the cultural expression of people, including all social hierarchies, and therefore they produced a honest reflection of culture of that time. Por Vos Muero wants to pay a tribute to the very important role that dance played in every sort of social event during those ancient times.

COR PERDUT

First performed by the Nederlands Dans Theater 2 in The Hague on 27 April, 1989

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet after M.J.Berberian
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Lighting Design: Nacho Duato

Cor Perdut is a duet inspired on the song Bir Demet Yasemen, in the catalonian version done by mallorcan singer María del Mar Bonet from the original theme by M.J. Berberian. “It is not worth to cry /it is not worth to die / since desire is much stronger / just follow its own path”, sings the wonderful voice of María del Mar Bonet, whose enchanting power dominates Duato´s piece who has created this choreography as a birthday gift to the singer. Following the syncopated and hypnotic rhythm of the tunisian percussions the dancers recreates the dynamic and expressive body vocabulary of the choreographer perfectly matching the fluidity and sensuality of the singer´s voice.

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

DUENDE

World premiere 21 November 1991, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague.

PREMIERE BY COMPAÑÍA NACIONAL DE DANZA AT THE TEATRO LÍRICO NACIONAL LA ZARZUELA, 11 DECEMBER, 1992

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Claude Debussy
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Costumes: Susan Unger
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

Duato’s ‘ideas’ for a choreography are almost always preceded by his choice in music, which characterises his working method. Maybe this applies to Duende in particular, because the music was the only source of inspiration for this ballet. Long ago Duato fell in love with Debussy, especially by the way the composer makes nature sound in music. When he listens to this music, Duato visualises shapes, not people, relationships or events. This is why he considers Duende as an almost sculptural work: a body, a movement, that goes with the tune.

Duende literally means elfs and fairies, like the ones who tidy up children’s toys at night, but it can also mean rascal, a naughty child. One can also possess duende, when radiating energy and great charm, almost having a magical attraction. In Andalusia it is said flamenco has duende, which can hardly be translated into another language. Flamenco has a touch of spell, one might say, like the way black music has ‘soul’.

At the beginning of twentieth century Debussy was an unknown composer, and the public was suddenly listening to absolutely different sounds .Strange, beautiful and magical, as they must have been, these sounds have identified his complex cultural roots. Debussy’s music reveals classic and romantic origins apart from connections with lay music, the folk songs, Arab, eastern and slave cultures, and even with jazz.

Classicism may simply be explained as consecrated to form. In this sense, Romanticism is usually defined as the expression of emotions. However, the relationship between Debussy and these two concepts is not always as simple. Form and emotion are always present in his music, but more as the result of a process of insinuation than one of definition. In one of his rules for composers, Debussy wrote: “Discipline must be looked for in freedom”, this could be considered his first command.

Debussy is frequently identified with the impressionist artistic movement: but whereas painters like Monet gave a great importance to light, Debussy was mainly interested by the quality and effect of sound. Comments of Debussy about Stravinsky were that “he was widening the borders of the allowed in the empire of sound”, and this could undoubtedly be referred to in his own work.

SINFONIA INDIA

World premiere 7 June 1984, The Netherlands Dance Theater, Circus Theatre Scheveningen.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Carlos Chávez
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

GAVINES I DRAGONS

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

RASSEMBLEMENT

World premiere 27 February 1990, The Cullberg Ballet ( Stockholm), Hjalmar Bergman theatre ( Örebro)

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Toto Bissainthe
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

REMANSOS

World premiere 5 Junio 1998, American Ballet Theatre ( New York), The City Center Theatre.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Enrique Granados
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Brad Fields/Nicolás Fischtel

First presented by American Ballet Theater, at City Center of New York on 5 November, 1997 and by Compañía Nacional de Danza of Spain at Teatro de Madrid, on 5 June, 1998.

Remanso, based on Poetic Watzes by Enrique Granados, has got major reception by audience and especialized critics.

Expresive power, geometry of lines, dinamics of space and forms, were some of the remarks about Duato´s work. From that very first version, Duato has extended the ballet for Compañía Nacional de Danza, transforming it into REMANSOS. Based on the music of Enrique Granados and inspired in the universe of Federico García Lorca Remansos, full of inventiviness, offers the observer a constant wink based on the perspicacity of movement.

WITHOUT WORDS

World premiere 29 October 1998, American Ballet Theatre, City Center Theatre (New York).

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Franz Schubert
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Brad Fields

POR VOS MUERO

World premiere 11 April  1996, Compañía Nacional de Danza, teatro de Madrid.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Jordi Savall
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel
Texto Garcilaso de la Vega
Voz: Miguel Bosé

Duato has inspired in old Spanish music of XV and XVI centuries together with some of the most beautiful verses of the Spanish poet Garcilaso de la Vega. Music and poetry connect the obvious contemporary dance of Por Vos Muero to his historic reference.

In XV and XVI centuries dances formed part of the cultural expression of people, including all social hierarchies, and therefore they produced a honest reflection of culture of that time. Por Vos Muero wants to pay a tribute to the very important role that dance played in every sort of social event during those ancient times.

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

GNAWA

World premiere 9 September 1993, Hubbard Street Dance Street ( Chicago-USA)

Premiere performance by the Hubbard Street Dance Chicago at the Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance, March 2005

Premiered by the Compañía Nacional de Danza 2 at the Teatro Gran Vía, Madrid, the 18th of April 2007

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: collage
Costumes: Luis Devota y Modesto Lomba
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

In 1992 in his home city of Valencia, Nacho Duato premiered Mediterrania, searching deeper into his roots and those of his forebears, and his sense of complicity with the Mediterranean Sea.

In Gnawa, premiered by the Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in 2005, the renowned choreographer has continued along the path he set out on with Mediterrania, seeking to transmit, through the medium of movement, the sensuality of the landscape, the true nature of its peoples. With a suggestive musical score replete with Spanish and North African sounds, Gnawa captivates its audience through its all-encompassing power and its sensual elegance, combining the spirituality and organic rhythm of the Mediterranean.

Gnawa is the name that receives in Morocco and other parts of the Magreb the members of different mystic Muslim brotherhoods characterized by their sub-saharian origin and the use of song, dances and syncretic rituals as a mean to reach ecstasy. This term also refers to a musical style of sub-saharian reminiscences practised by these brotherhoods or by musicians inspired by them. It is considered one of the main Moroccan Folklore genres.  

POR VOS MUERO

World premiere 11 April  1996, Compañía Nacional de Danza, teatro de Madrid.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Jordi Savall
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel
Texto Garcilaso de la Vega
Voz: Miguel Bosé

Duato has inspired in old Spanish music of XV and XVI centuries together with some of the most beautiful verses of the Spanish poet Garcilaso de la Vega. Music and poetry connect the obvious contemporary dance of Por Vos Muero to his historic reference.

In XV and XVI centuries dances formed part of the cultural expression of people, including all social hierarchies, and therefore they produced a honest reflection of culture of that time. Por Vos Muero wants to pay a tribute to the very important role that dance played in every sort of social event during those ancient times.

NA FLORESTA

World premiere 15 February 1990, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Heitor Villalobos ( Wagner Tisso)
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Lighting. Nicolás Fischtel

POR VOS MUERO

World premiere 11 April  1996, Compañía Nacional de Danza, teatro de Madrid.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Jordi Savall
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel
Texto Garcilaso de la Vega
Voz: Miguel Bosé

Duato has inspired in old Spanish music of XV and XVI centuries together with some of the most beautiful verses of the Spanish poet Garcilaso de la Vega. Music and poetry connect the obvious contemporary dance of Por Vos Muero to his historic reference.

In XV and XVI centuries dances formed part of the cultural expression of people, including all social hierarchies, and therefore they produced a honest reflection of culture of that time. Por Vos Muero wants to pay a tribute to the very important role that dance played in every sort of social event during those ancient times.

ARCANGELO

World Premiere by Compañía Nacional de Danza at Teatro Real de Madrid, 31 May, 2000

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Arcangelo Corelli (Concerti Grossi Op. 6), Domenico Scarlatti (Il primo omicidio)
Light: Brad Fields
Costumes : Nacho Duato in collaboration with Ismael Aznar
Scenery: Nacho Duato
Length Of Performance: 32 min

WITHOUT WORDS

World premiere 29 October 1998, American Ballet Theatre, City Center Theatre (New York).

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Franz Schubert
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Brad Fields

VIOLONCELLO

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

REMANSO

World premiere 5 November 1997, American Ballet Theatre ( New York), The City Center Theatre.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Enrique Granados
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Brad Fields

First presented by American Ballet Theater, at City Center of New York on 5 November, 1997 and by Compañía Nacional de Danza of Spain at Teatro de Madrid, on 5 June, 1998.

Remanso, based on Poetic Watzes by Enrique Granados, has got major reception by audience and especialized critics.

Expresive power, geometry of lines, dinamics of space and forms, were some of the remarks about Duato´s work. From that very first version, Duato has extended the ballet for Compañía Nacional de Danza, transforming it into REMANSOS. Based on the music of Enrique Granados and inspired in the universe of Federico García Lorca Remansos, full of inventiviness, offers the observer a constant wink based on the perspicacity of movement.

DUENDE

World premiere 21 November 1991, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague.

PREMIERE BY COMPAÑÍA NACIONAL DE DANZA AT THE TEATRO LÍRICO NACIONAL LA ZARZUELA, 11 DECEMBER, 1992

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Claude Debussy
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Costumes: Susan Unger
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

Duato’s ‘ideas’ for a choreography are almost always preceded by his choice in music, which characterises his working method. Maybe this applies to Duende in particular, because the music was the only source of inspiration for this ballet. Long ago Duato fell in love with Debussy, especially by the way the composer makes nature sound in music. When he listens to this music, Duato visualises shapes, not people, relationships or events. This is why he considers Duende as an almost sculptural work: a body, a movement, that goes with the tune.

Duende literally means elfs and fairies, like the ones who tidy up children’s toys at night, but it can also mean rascal, a naughty child. One can also possess duende, when radiating energy and great charm, almost having a magical attraction. In Andalusia it is said flamenco has duende, which can hardly be translated into another language. Flamenco has a touch of spell, one might say, like the way black music has ‘soul’.

At the beginning of twentieth century Debussy was an unknown composer, and the public was suddenly listening to absolutely different sounds .Strange, beautiful and magical, as they must have been, these sounds have identified his complex cultural roots. Debussy’s music reveals classic and romantic origins apart from connections with lay music, the folk songs, Arab, eastern and slave cultures, and even with jazz.

Classicism may simply be explained as consecrated to form. In this sense, Romanticism is usually defined as the expression of emotions. However, the relationship between Debussy and these two concepts is not always as simple. Form and emotion are always present in his music, but more as the result of a process of insinuation than one of definition. In one of his rules for composers, Debussy wrote: “Discipline must be looked for in freedom”, this could be considered his first command.

Debussy is frequently identified with the impressionist artistic movement: but whereas painters like Monet gave a great importance to light, Debussy was mainly interested by the quality and effect of sound. Comments of Debussy about Stravinsky were that “he was widening the borders of the allowed in the empire of sound”, and this could undoubtedly be referred to in his own work.

MULTIPLICITY, FORMS OF SILENCE AND EMPTINESS

World premiere at Viehauktionshalle ( Weimar-Germany), 23 April, 1999.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Johan Sebastian Bach (collage)
Sets: Jaffar Al Chalabi (based on an original idea of Nacho Duato)
Costumes: Nacho Duato (in collaboration with Ismael Aznar)
Light Design: Brad Fields

MULTIPLICITY is the result of the coproduction between the city of Weimar -European Cultural Capital in 1999-  and the CND. A ballet was commissioned to Nacho Duato which somehow had some special link with the city. For Duato the answer could only be one: Bach.  Nacho’s ballet is therefore inspired in the music and life of  Johan Sebastian Bach and is divided into two parts.

The first one, Multiplicity, is a choreographic reflexion which arises mainly from the wonderful music of the brilliant composer. This first part is characterized by a choreographic variety and diversity which matches the linked different musical excerpts by Bach. Continuos changes in costumes and settings highlight visually this musical collage.

The second part, Forms of silence and emptiness, maintains a more introspective tone, more mystic and spiritual, reflecting upon the subject of the death, so present in the work of Bach. Musically speaking it is based mainly on the Arte of Fugue.

NA FLORESTA

World premiere 15 February 1990, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Heitor Villalobos ( Wagner Tisso)
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Lighting. Nicolás Fischtel

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

DUENDE

World premiere 21 November 1991, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague.

PREMIERE BY COMPAÑÍA NACIONAL DE DANZA AT THE TEATRO LÍRICO NACIONAL LA ZARZUELA, 11 DECEMBER, 1992

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Claude Debussy
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Costumes: Susan Unger
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

Duato’s ‘ideas’ for a choreography are almost always preceded by his choice in music, which characterises his working method. Maybe this applies to Duende in particular, because the music was the only source of inspiration for this ballet. Long ago Duato fell in love with Debussy, especially by the way the composer makes nature sound in music. When he listens to this music, Duato visualises shapes, not people, relationships or events. This is why he considers Duende as an almost sculptural work: a body, a movement, that goes with the tune.

Duende literally means elfs and fairies, like the ones who tidy up children’s toys at night, but it can also mean rascal, a naughty child. One can also possess duende, when radiating energy and great charm, almost having a magical attraction. In Andalusia it is said flamenco has duende, which can hardly be translated into another language. Flamenco has a touch of spell, one might say, like the way black music has ‘soul’.

At the beginning of twentieth century Debussy was an unknown composer, and the public was suddenly listening to absolutely different sounds .Strange, beautiful and magical, as they must have been, these sounds have identified his complex cultural roots. Debussy’s music reveals classic and romantic origins apart from connections with lay music, the folk songs, Arab, eastern and slave cultures, and even with jazz.

Classicism may simply be explained as consecrated to form. In this sense, Romanticism is usually defined as the expression of emotions. However, the relationship between Debussy and these two concepts is not always as simple. Form and emotion are always present in his music, but more as the result of a process of insinuation than one of definition. In one of his rules for composers, Debussy wrote: “Discipline must be looked for in freedom”, this could be considered his first command.

Debussy is frequently identified with the impressionist artistic movement: but whereas painters like Monet gave a great importance to light, Debussy was mainly interested by the quality and effect of sound. Comments of Debussy about Stravinsky were that “he was widening the borders of the allowed in the empire of sound”, and this could undoubtedly be referred to in his own work.

POR VOS MUERO

World premiere 11 April  1996, Compañía Nacional de Danza, teatro de Madrid.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Jordi Savall
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel
Texto Garcilaso de la Vega
Voz: Miguel Bosé

Duato has inspired in old Spanish music of XV and XVI centuries together with some of the most beautiful verses of the Spanish poet Garcilaso de la Vega. Music and poetry connect the obvious contemporary dance of Por Vos Muero to his historic reference.

In XV and XVI centuries dances formed part of the cultural expression of people, including all social hierarchies, and therefore they produced a honest reflection of culture of that time. Por Vos Muero wants to pay a tribute to the very important role that dance played in every sort of social event during those ancient times.

COMING TOGETHER

World premiere by Compañía Nacional de Danza at Teatro de la Zarzuela, Madrid, 23 December 1991.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Frederic Rzewski(Coming Together)
Sets and Costumes: Nacho Duato
Light Design: Nicolás Fischtel

The turbulent repetition of musical structures and recited text from the Frederic Rzewski’s frantic composition provides with the accompaniment and counterpoint to an abstract work by Nacho Duato who uses his effervescence both to bring us closer to furious frenzy and hysterics, and as a contrast in his creation of oniric atmospheres. Both phenomenons appear alternatively as well as simultaneously as it could happen with the rhythms and sensations which develop within a big city.

The result, of an obvious comtemporary style, forces the spectator to focus his attention on the multiple changes of the choreographic process as well as on the system and structure of steps, instead of the ordinary descriptive and narrative elements.

Frederic Rzewski’s piece entitled Coming Together and Attica written for narrator and instruments, to be performed ad libitum in two parts, is of crucial importance in the history of repetitive music and not only because of its obvious influence on later pieces. Here the repetitive techniques and structuring are not an end in themselves but the means of creating a coherent musical, dramatic world. While this piece just like Rzewski’s other works makes use of improvisation and repetition it is also a committed work both in the social and the political sense. Rzewski managed to combine the political, ideological meaning of the text and the musical structure into a homogeneous whole by means of an original “minimal” idea.

The eight sentences from a letter by Sam Melville (a political prisoner killed in the 1971 Attica prison riots) are first narrated in an additive then in a deductive progression. The title of the piece is a reference to a sentence of the letter and to the technique of musical improvisation.

RASSEMBLEMENT

World premiere 27 February 1990, The Cullberg Ballet ( Stockholm), Hjalmar Bergman theatre ( Örebro)

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Toto Bissainthe
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

NA FLORESTA

World premiere 15 February 1990, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Heitor Villalobos ( Wagner Tisso)
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Lighting. Nicolás Fischtel

CASTRATI

Contrary to popular belief, Lorem Ipsum is not simply random text. It has roots in a piece of classical Latin literature from 45 BC, making it over 2000 years old. Richard McClintock, a Latin professor at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, looked up one of the more obscure Latin words, consectetur, from a Lorem Ipsum passage, and going through the cites of the word in classical literature, discovered the undoubtable source.

GNAWA

World premiere 9 September 1993, Hubbard Street Dance Street ( Chicago-USA)

Premiere performance by the Hubbard Street Dance Chicago at the Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance, March 2005

Premiered by the Compañía Nacional de Danza 2 at the Teatro Gran Vía, Madrid, the 18th of April 2007

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: collage
Costumes: Luis Devota y Modesto Lomba
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

In 1992 in his home city of Valencia, Nacho Duato premiered Mediterrania, searching deeper into his roots and those of his forebears, and his sense of complicity with the Mediterranean Sea.

In Gnawa, premiered by the Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in 2005, the renowned choreographer has continued along the path he set out on with Mediterrania, seeking to transmit, through the medium of movement, the sensuality of the landscape, the true nature of its peoples. With a suggestive musical score replete with Spanish and North African sounds, Gnawa captivates its audience through its all-encompassing power and its sensual elegance, combining the spirituality and organic rhythm of the Mediterranean.

Gnawa is the name that receives in Morocco and other parts of the Magreb the members of different mystic Muslim brotherhoods characterized by their sub-saharian origin and the use of song, dances and syncretic rituals as a mean to reach ecstasy. This term also refers to a musical style of sub-saharian reminiscences practised by these brotherhoods or by musicians inspired by them. It is considered one of the main Moroccan Folklore genres.  

L’AMOROSO

World premiere by Compañía Nacional de Danza 2 at Teatro de Madrid on  May 21,  2004

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Guido Balestracci
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

L’Amoroso is Nacho Duato’s first piece created expressly for the Compañía Nacional de Danza 2.
The choreographer uses a selection of concerts of viola da gamba from the Italian baroque. The soft, artful music and the freshness and youth of the dancers inspire Duato to create a dynamic and vital atmosphere on stage.

COR PERDUT

First performed by the Nederlands Dans Theater 2 in The Hague on 27 April, 1989

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet after M.J.Berberian
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Lighting Design: Nacho Duato

Cor Perdut is a duet inspired on the song Bir Demet Yasemen, in the catalonian version done by mallorcan singer María del Mar Bonet from the original theme by M.J. Berberian. “It is not worth to cry /it is not worth to die / since desire is much stronger / just follow its own path”, sings the wonderful voice of María del Mar Bonet, whose enchanting power dominates Duato´s piece who has created this choreography as a birthday gift to the singer. Following the syncopated and hypnotic rhythm of the tunisian percussions the dancers recreates the dynamic and expressive body vocabulary of the choreographer perfectly matching the fluidity and sensuality of the singer´s voice.

WITHOUT WORDS

World premiere 29 October 1998, American Ballet Theatre, City Center Theatre (New York).

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Franz Schubert
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Brad Fields

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

DUENDE

World premiere 21 November 1991, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague.

PREMIERE BY COMPAÑÍA NACIONAL DE DANZA AT THE TEATRO LÍRICO NACIONAL LA ZARZUELA, 11 DECEMBER, 1992

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Claude Debussy
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Costumes: Susan Unger
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

Duato’s ‘ideas’ for a choreography are almost always preceded by his choice in music, which characterises his working method. Maybe this applies to Duende in particular, because the music was the only source of inspiration for this ballet. Long ago Duato fell in love with Debussy, especially by the way the composer makes nature sound in music. When he listens to this music, Duato visualises shapes, not people, relationships or events. This is why he considers Duende as an almost sculptural work: a body, a movement, that goes with the tune.

Duende literally means elfs and fairies, like the ones who tidy up children’s toys at night, but it can also mean rascal, a naughty child. One can also possess duende, when radiating energy and great charm, almost having a magical attraction. In Andalusia it is said flamenco has duende, which can hardly be translated into another language. Flamenco has a touch of spell, one might say, like the way black music has ‘soul’.

At the beginning of twentieth century Debussy was an unknown composer, and the public was suddenly listening to absolutely different sounds .Strange, beautiful and magical, as they must have been, these sounds have identified his complex cultural roots. Debussy’s music reveals classic and romantic origins apart from connections with lay music, the folk songs, Arab, eastern and slave cultures, and even with jazz.

Classicism may simply be explained as consecrated to form. In this sense, Romanticism is usually defined as the expression of emotions. However, the relationship between Debussy and these two concepts is not always as simple. Form and emotion are always present in his music, but more as the result of a process of insinuation than one of definition. In one of his rules for composers, Debussy wrote: “Discipline must be looked for in freedom”, this could be considered his first command.

Debussy is frequently identified with the impressionist artistic movement: but whereas painters like Monet gave a great importance to light, Debussy was mainly interested by the quality and effect of sound. Comments of Debussy about Stravinsky were that “he was widening the borders of the allowed in the empire of sound”, and this could undoubtedly be referred to in his own work.

COMING TOGETHER

World premiere by Compañía Nacional de Danza at Teatro de la Zarzuela, Madrid, 23 December 1991.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Frederic Rzewski(Coming Together)
Sets and Costumes: Nacho Duato
Light Design: Nicolás Fischtel

The turbulent repetition of musical structures and recited text from the Frederic Rzewski’s frantic composition provides with the accompaniment and counterpoint to an abstract work by Nacho Duato who uses his effervescence both to bring us closer to furious frenzy and hysterics, and as a contrast in his creation of oniric atmospheres. Both phenomenons appear alternatively as well as simultaneously as it could happen with the rhythms and sensations which develop within a big city.

The result, of an obvious comtemporary style, forces the spectator to focus his attention on the multiple changes of the choreographic process as well as on the system and structure of steps, instead of the ordinary descriptive and narrative elements.

Frederic Rzewski’s piece entitled Coming Together and Attica written for narrator and instruments, to be performed ad libitum in two parts, is of crucial importance in the history of repetitive music and not only because of its obvious influence on later pieces. Here the repetitive techniques and structuring are not an end in themselves but the means of creating a coherent musical, dramatic world. While this piece just like Rzewski’s other works makes use of improvisation and repetition it is also a committed work both in the social and the political sense. Rzewski managed to combine the political, ideological meaning of the text and the musical structure into a homogeneous whole by means of an original “minimal” idea.

The eight sentences from a letter by Sam Melville (a political prisoner killed in the 1971 Attica prison riots) are first narrated in an additive then in a deductive progression. The title of the piece is a reference to a sentence of the letter and to the technique of musical improvisation.

DUENDE

World premiere 21 November 1991, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague.

PREMIERE BY COMPAÑÍA NACIONAL DE DANZA AT THE TEATRO LÍRICO NACIONAL LA ZARZUELA, 11 DECEMBER, 1992

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Claude Debussy
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Costumes: Susan Unger
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

Duato’s ‘ideas’ for a choreography are almost always preceded by his choice in music, which characterises his working method. Maybe this applies to Duende in particular, because the music was the only source of inspiration for this ballet. Long ago Duato fell in love with Debussy, especially by the way the composer makes nature sound in music. When he listens to this music, Duato visualises shapes, not people, relationships or events. This is why he considers Duende as an almost sculptural work: a body, a movement, that goes with the tune.

Duende literally means elfs and fairies, like the ones who tidy up children’s toys at night, but it can also mean rascal, a naughty child. One can also possess duende, when radiating energy and great charm, almost having a magical attraction. In Andalusia it is said flamenco has duende, which can hardly be translated into another language. Flamenco has a touch of spell, one might say, like the way black music has ‘soul’.

At the beginning of twentieth century Debussy was an unknown composer, and the public was suddenly listening to absolutely different sounds .Strange, beautiful and magical, as they must have been, these sounds have identified his complex cultural roots. Debussy’s music reveals classic and romantic origins apart from connections with lay music, the folk songs, Arab, eastern and slave cultures, and even with jazz.

Classicism may simply be explained as consecrated to form. In this sense, Romanticism is usually defined as the expression of emotions. However, the relationship between Debussy and these two concepts is not always as simple. Form and emotion are always present in his music, but more as the result of a process of insinuation than one of definition. In one of his rules for composers, Debussy wrote: “Discipline must be looked for in freedom”, this could be considered his first command.

Debussy is frequently identified with the impressionist artistic movement: but whereas painters like Monet gave a great importance to light, Debussy was mainly interested by the quality and effect of sound. Comments of Debussy about Stravinsky were that “he was widening the borders of the allowed in the empire of sound”, and this could undoubtedly be referred to in his own work.

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

POR VOS MUERO

World premiere 11 April  1996, Compañía Nacional de Danza, teatro de Madrid.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Jordi Savall
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel
Texto Garcilaso de la Vega
Voz: Miguel Bosé

Duato has inspired in old Spanish music of XV and XVI centuries together with some of the most beautiful verses of the Spanish poet Garcilaso de la Vega. Music and poetry connect the obvious contemporary dance of Por Vos Muero to his historic reference.

In XV and XVI centuries dances formed part of the cultural expression of people, including all social hierarchies, and therefore they produced a honest reflection of culture of that time. Por Vos Muero wants to pay a tribute to the very important role that dance played in every sort of social event during those ancient times.

NA FLORESTA

World premiere 15 February 1990, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Heitor Villalobos ( Wagner Tisso)
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Lighting. Nicolás Fischtel

DUENDE

World premiere 21 November 1991, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague.

PREMIERE BY COMPAÑÍA NACIONAL DE DANZA AT THE TEATRO LÍRICO NACIONAL LA ZARZUELA, 11 DECEMBER, 1992

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Claude Debussy
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Costumes: Susan Unger
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

Duato’s ‘ideas’ for a choreography are almost always preceded by his choice in music, which characterises his working method. Maybe this applies to Duende in particular, because the music was the only source of inspiration for this ballet. Long ago Duato fell in love with Debussy, especially by the way the composer makes nature sound in music. When he listens to this music, Duato visualises shapes, not people, relationships or events. This is why he considers Duende as an almost sculptural work: a body, a movement, that goes with the tune.

Duende literally means elfs and fairies, like the ones who tidy up children’s toys at night, but it can also mean rascal, a naughty child. One can also possess duende, when radiating energy and great charm, almost having a magical attraction. In Andalusia it is said flamenco has duende, which can hardly be translated into another language. Flamenco has a touch of spell, one might say, like the way black music has ‘soul’.

At the beginning of twentieth century Debussy was an unknown composer, and the public was suddenly listening to absolutely different sounds .Strange, beautiful and magical, as they must have been, these sounds have identified his complex cultural roots. Debussy’s music reveals classic and romantic origins apart from connections with lay music, the folk songs, Arab, eastern and slave cultures, and even with jazz.

Classicism may simply be explained as consecrated to form. In this sense, Romanticism is usually defined as the expression of emotions. However, the relationship between Debussy and these two concepts is not always as simple. Form and emotion are always present in his music, but more as the result of a process of insinuation than one of definition. In one of his rules for composers, Debussy wrote: “Discipline must be looked for in freedom”, this could be considered his first command.

Debussy is frequently identified with the impressionist artistic movement: but whereas painters like Monet gave a great importance to light, Debussy was mainly interested by the quality and effect of sound. Comments of Debussy about Stravinsky were that “he was widening the borders of the allowed in the empire of sound”, and this could undoubtedly be referred to in his own work.

NA FLORESTA

World premiere 15 February 1990, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Heitor Villalobos ( Wagner Tisso)
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Lighting. Nicolás Fischtel

WHITE DARKNESS

World premiere 16 November 2001, Compañía Nacional de Danza, Teatro de la Zarzuela de Madrid.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Karl Jenkins
Costumes: Lourdes Frías
Scenery: Jaafar Chalabi
Lighting: Joop Caboort

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

MULTIPLICITY, FORMS OF SILENCE AND EMPTINESS

World premiere at Viehauktionshalle ( Weimar-Germany), 23 April, 1999.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Johan Sebastian Bach (collage)
Sets: Jaffar Al Chalabi (based on an original idea of Nacho Duato)
Costumes: Nacho Duato (in collaboration with Ismael Aznar)
Light Design: Brad Fields

MULTIPLICITY is the result of the coproduction between the city of Weimar -European Cultural Capital in 1999-  and the CND. A ballet was commissioned to Nacho Duato which somehow had some special link with the city. For Duato the answer could only be one: Bach.  Nacho’s ballet is therefore inspired in the music and life of  Johan Sebastian Bach and is divided into two parts.

The first one, Multiplicity, is a choreographic reflexion which arises mainly from the wonderful music of the brilliant composer. This first part is characterized by a choreographic variety and diversity which matches the linked different musical excerpts by Bach. Continuos changes in costumes and settings highlight visually this musical collage.

The second part, Forms of silence and emptiness, maintains a more introspective tone, more mystic and spiritual, reflecting upon the subject of the death, so present in the work of Bach. Musically speaking it is based mainly on the Arte of Fugue.

POR VOS MUERO

World premiere 11 April  1996, Compañía Nacional de Danza, teatro de Madrid.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Jordi Savall
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel
Texto Garcilaso de la Vega
Voz: Miguel Bosé

Duato has inspired in old Spanish music of XV and XVI centuries together with some of the most beautiful verses of the Spanish poet Garcilaso de la Vega. Music and poetry connect the obvious contemporary dance of Por Vos Muero to his historic reference.

In XV and XVI centuries dances formed part of the cultural expression of people, including all social hierarchies, and therefore they produced a honest reflection of culture of that time. Por Vos Muero wants to pay a tribute to the very important role that dance played in every sort of social event during those ancient times.

ARCANGELO

World Premiere by Compañía Nacional de Danza at Teatro Real de Madrid, 31 May, 2000

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Arcangelo Corelli (Concerti Grossi Op. 6), Domenico Scarlatti (Il primo omicidio)
Light: Brad Fields
Costumes : Nacho Duato in collaboration with Ismael Aznar
Scenery: Nacho Duato
Length Of Performance: 32 min

WHITE DARKNESS

World premiere 16 November 2001, Compañía Nacional de Danza, Teatro de la Zarzuela de Madrid.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Karl Jenkins
Costumes: Lourdes Frías
Scenery: Jaafar Chalabi
Lighting: Joop Caboort

WITHOUT WORDS

World premiere 29 October 1998, American Ballet Theatre, City Center Theatre (New York).

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Franz Schubert
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Brad Fields

POR VOS MUERO

World premiere 11 April  1996, Compañía Nacional de Danza, teatro de Madrid.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Jordi Savall
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel
Texto Garcilaso de la Vega
Voz: Miguel Bosé

Duato has inspired in old Spanish music of XV and XVI centuries together with some of the most beautiful verses of the Spanish poet Garcilaso de la Vega. Music and poetry connect the obvious contemporary dance of Por Vos Muero to his historic reference.

In XV and XVI centuries dances formed part of the cultural expression of people, including all social hierarchies, and therefore they produced a honest reflection of culture of that time. Por Vos Muero wants to pay a tribute to the very important role that dance played in every sort of social event during those ancient times.

WITHOUT WORDS

World premiere 29 October 1998, American Ballet Theatre, City Center Theatre (New York).

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Franz Schubert
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Brad Fields

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

RASSEMBLEMENT

World premiere 27 February 1990, The Cullberg Ballet ( Stockholm), Hjalmar Bergman theatre ( Örebro)

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Toto Bissainthe
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

RASSEMBLEMENT

World premiere 27 February 1990, The Cullberg Ballet ( Stockholm), Hjalmar Bergman theatre ( Örebro)

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Toto Bissainthe
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

COR PERDUT

First performed by the Nederlands Dans Theater 2 in The Hague on 27 April, 1989

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet after M.J.Berberian
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Lighting Design: Nacho Duato

Cor Perdut is a duet inspired on the song Bir Demet Yasemen, in the catalonian version done by mallorcan singer María del Mar Bonet from the original theme by M.J. Berberian. “It is not worth to cry /it is not worth to die / since desire is much stronger / just follow its own path”, sings the wonderful voice of María del Mar Bonet, whose enchanting power dominates Duato´s piece who has created this choreography as a birthday gift to the singer. Following the syncopated and hypnotic rhythm of the tunisian percussions the dancers recreates the dynamic and expressive body vocabulary of the choreographer perfectly matching the fluidity and sensuality of the singer´s voice.

REMANSO

World premiere 5 November 1997, American Ballet Theatre ( New York), The City Center Theatre.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Enrique Granados
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Brad Fields

First presented by American Ballet Theater, at City Center of New York on 5 November, 1997 and by Compañía Nacional de Danza of Spain at Teatro de Madrid, on 5 June, 1998.

Remanso, based on Poetic Watzes by Enrique Granados, has got major reception by audience and especialized critics.

Expresive power, geometry of lines, dinamics of space and forms, were some of the remarks about Duato´s work. From that very first version, Duato has extended the ballet for Compañía Nacional de Danza, transforming it into REMANSOS. Based on the music of Enrique Granados and inspired in the universe of Federico García Lorca Remansos, full of inventiviness, offers the observer a constant wink based on the perspicacity of movement.

NA FLORESTA

World premiere 15 February 1990, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Heitor Villalobos ( Wagner Tisso)
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Lighting. Nicolás Fischtel

POR VOS MUERO

World premiere 11 April  1996, Compañía Nacional de Danza, teatro de Madrid.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Jordi Savall
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel
Texto Garcilaso de la Vega
Voz: Miguel Bosé

Duato has inspired in old Spanish music of XV and XVI centuries together with some of the most beautiful verses of the Spanish poet Garcilaso de la Vega. Music and poetry connect the obvious contemporary dance of Por Vos Muero to his historic reference.

In XV and XVI centuries dances formed part of the cultural expression of people, including all social hierarchies, and therefore they produced a honest reflection of culture of that time. Por Vos Muero wants to pay a tribute to the very important role that dance played in every sort of social event during those ancient times.

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

DUENDE

World premiere 21 November 1991, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague.

PREMIERE BY COMPAÑÍA NACIONAL DE DANZA AT THE TEATRO LÍRICO NACIONAL LA ZARZUELA, 11 DECEMBER, 1992

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Claude Debussy
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Costumes: Susan Unger
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

Duato’s ‘ideas’ for a choreography are almost always preceded by his choice in music, which characterises his working method. Maybe this applies to Duende in particular, because the music was the only source of inspiration for this ballet. Long ago Duato fell in love with Debussy, especially by the way the composer makes nature sound in music. When he listens to this music, Duato visualises shapes, not people, relationships or events. This is why he considers Duende as an almost sculptural work: a body, a movement, that goes with the tune.

Duende literally means elfs and fairies, like the ones who tidy up children’s toys at night, but it can also mean rascal, a naughty child. One can also possess duende, when radiating energy and great charm, almost having a magical attraction. In Andalusia it is said flamenco has duende, which can hardly be translated into another language. Flamenco has a touch of spell, one might say, like the way black music has ‘soul’.

At the beginning of twentieth century Debussy was an unknown composer, and the public was suddenly listening to absolutely different sounds .Strange, beautiful and magical, as they must have been, these sounds have identified his complex cultural roots. Debussy’s music reveals classic and romantic origins apart from connections with lay music, the folk songs, Arab, eastern and slave cultures, and even with jazz.

Classicism may simply be explained as consecrated to form. In this sense, Romanticism is usually defined as the expression of emotions. However, the relationship between Debussy and these two concepts is not always as simple. Form and emotion are always present in his music, but more as the result of a process of insinuation than one of definition. In one of his rules for composers, Debussy wrote: “Discipline must be looked for in freedom”, this could be considered his first command.

Debussy is frequently identified with the impressionist artistic movement: but whereas painters like Monet gave a great importance to light, Debussy was mainly interested by the quality and effect of sound. Comments of Debussy about Stravinsky were that “he was widening the borders of the allowed in the empire of sound”, and this could undoubtedly be referred to in his own work.

NA FLORESTA

World premiere 15 February 1990, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Heitor Villalobos ( Wagner Tisso)
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Lighting. Nicolás Fischtel

DUENDE

World premiere 21 November 1991, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague.

PREMIERE BY COMPAÑÍA NACIONAL DE DANZA AT THE TEATRO LÍRICO NACIONAL LA ZARZUELA, 11 DECEMBER, 1992

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Claude Debussy
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Costumes: Susan Unger
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

Duato’s ‘ideas’ for a choreography are almost always preceded by his choice in music, which characterises his working method. Maybe this applies to Duende in particular, because the music was the only source of inspiration for this ballet. Long ago Duato fell in love with Debussy, especially by the way the composer makes nature sound in music. When he listens to this music, Duato visualises shapes, not people, relationships or events. This is why he considers Duende as an almost sculptural work: a body, a movement, that goes with the tune.

Duende literally means elfs and fairies, like the ones who tidy up children’s toys at night, but it can also mean rascal, a naughty child. One can also possess duende, when radiating energy and great charm, almost having a magical attraction. In Andalusia it is said flamenco has duende, which can hardly be translated into another language. Flamenco has a touch of spell, one might say, like the way black music has ‘soul’.

At the beginning of twentieth century Debussy was an unknown composer, and the public was suddenly listening to absolutely different sounds .Strange, beautiful and magical, as they must have been, these sounds have identified his complex cultural roots. Debussy’s music reveals classic and romantic origins apart from connections with lay music, the folk songs, Arab, eastern and slave cultures, and even with jazz.

Classicism may simply be explained as consecrated to form. In this sense, Romanticism is usually defined as the expression of emotions. However, the relationship between Debussy and these two concepts is not always as simple. Form and emotion are always present in his music, but more as the result of a process of insinuation than one of definition. In one of his rules for composers, Debussy wrote: “Discipline must be looked for in freedom”, this could be considered his first command.

Debussy is frequently identified with the impressionist artistic movement: but whereas painters like Monet gave a great importance to light, Debussy was mainly interested by the quality and effect of sound. Comments of Debussy about Stravinsky were that “he was widening the borders of the allowed in the empire of sound”, and this could undoubtedly be referred to in his own work.

MULTIPLICITY, FORMS OF SILENCE AND EMPTINESS

World premiere at Viehauktionshalle ( Weimar-Germany), 23 April, 1999.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Johan Sebastian Bach (collage)
Sets: Jaffar Al Chalabi (based on an original idea of Nacho Duato)
Costumes: Nacho Duato (in collaboration with Ismael Aznar)
Light Design: Brad Fields

MULTIPLICITY is the result of the coproduction between the city of Weimar -European Cultural Capital in 1999-  and the CND. A ballet was commissioned to Nacho Duato which somehow had some special link with the city. For Duato the answer could only be one: Bach.  Nacho’s ballet is therefore inspired in the music and life of  Johan Sebastian Bach and is divided into two parts.

The first one, Multiplicity, is a choreographic reflexion which arises mainly from the wonderful music of the brilliant composer. This first part is characterized by a choreographic variety and diversity which matches the linked different musical excerpts by Bach. Continuos changes in costumes and settings highlight visually this musical collage.

The second part, Forms of silence and emptiness, maintains a more introspective tone, more mystic and spiritual, reflecting upon the subject of the death, so present in the work of Bach. Musically speaking it is based mainly on the Arte of Fugue.

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

GALA DUATO

Gala en homenaje a Nacho Duato.

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

COR PERDUT

First performed by the Nederlands Dans Theater 2 in The Hague on 27 April, 1989

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet after M.J.Berberian
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Lighting Design: Nacho Duato

Cor Perdut is a duet inspired on the song Bir Demet Yasemen, in the catalonian version done by mallorcan singer María del Mar Bonet from the original theme by M.J. Berberian. “It is not worth to cry /it is not worth to die / since desire is much stronger / just follow its own path”, sings the wonderful voice of María del Mar Bonet, whose enchanting power dominates Duato´s piece who has created this choreography as a birthday gift to the singer. Following the syncopated and hypnotic rhythm of the tunisian percussions the dancers recreates the dynamic and expressive body vocabulary of the choreographer perfectly matching the fluidity and sensuality of the singer´s voice.

REMANSO

World premiere 5 November 1997, American Ballet Theatre ( New York), The City Center Theatre.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Enrique Granados
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Brad Fields

First presented by American Ballet Theater, at City Center of New York on 5 November, 1997 and by Compañía Nacional de Danza of Spain at Teatro de Madrid, on 5 June, 1998.

Remanso, based on Poetic Watzes by Enrique Granados, has got major reception by audience and especialized critics.

Expresive power, geometry of lines, dinamics of space and forms, were some of the remarks about Duato´s work. From that very first version, Duato has extended the ballet for Compañía Nacional de Danza, transforming it into REMANSOS. Based on the music of Enrique Granados and inspired in the universe of Federico García Lorca Remansos, full of inventiviness, offers the observer a constant wink based on the perspicacity of movement.

COMING TOGETHER

World premiere by Compañía Nacional de Danza at Teatro de la Zarzuela, Madrid, 23 December 1991.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Frederic Rzewski(Coming Together)
Sets and Costumes: Nacho Duato
Light Design: Nicolás Fischtel

The turbulent repetition of musical structures and recited text from the Frederic Rzewski’s frantic composition provides with the accompaniment and counterpoint to an abstract work by Nacho Duato who uses his effervescence both to bring us closer to furious frenzy and hysterics, and as a contrast in his creation of oniric atmospheres. Both phenomenons appear alternatively as well as simultaneously as it could happen with the rhythms and sensations which develop within a big city.

The result, of an obvious comtemporary style, forces the spectator to focus his attention on the multiple changes of the choreographic process as well as on the system and structure of steps, instead of the ordinary descriptive and narrative elements.

Frederic Rzewski’s piece entitled Coming Together and Attica written for narrator and instruments, to be performed ad libitum in two parts, is of crucial importance in the history of repetitive music and not only because of its obvious influence on later pieces. Here the repetitive techniques and structuring are not an end in themselves but the means of creating a coherent musical, dramatic world. While this piece just like Rzewski’s other works makes use of improvisation and repetition it is also a committed work both in the social and the political sense. Rzewski managed to combine the political, ideological meaning of the text and the musical structure into a homogeneous whole by means of an original “minimal” idea.

The eight sentences from a letter by Sam Melville (a political prisoner killed in the 1971 Attica prison riots) are first narrated in an additive then in a deductive progression. The title of the piece is a reference to a sentence of the letter and to the technique of musical improvisation.

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

DREAMS OF ETHER

Estrenado por la Nederlands Dans Theater en el Lucent Dans Theater de la Haya el 11 de septiembre de 1986. Estrenado por la Compañía Nacional de Danza en el Palacio de Festivales de Cantabria de Santander el 5 de abril de 2002.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Marcel Landowski
Costumes: Lourdes Frías
Scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Brad Fields

Sueños de Éter fue originalmente creado por el Director Artístico de La Compañía Nacional de Danza para el prestigioso Nederlands Dans Theater. El ballet nos sitúa en un mundo onírico, donde ocho mujeres danzan sus sueños/pesadillas en una atmósfera cargada de opresión y sufrimiento. La música de Landowski evoca un mundo donde todo se traduce en un discurso metafísico a través del cual la vida se entiende a través de los sonidos. La alegría, la meditación, la pena, la frustración, el deseo, todos las emociones que desarrollan las ocho intérpretes de este ballet tienen de algún modo su origen en el Concierto para ondas Martenot para percusión y orquesta de cuerdas del maravilloso compositor francés. El vestuario que lleva a cabo Lourdes Frías y el diseño de luces firmado por Brad Fields suponen para este estreno por la Compañía Nacional de Danza una realización de lujo.

CASTRATI

Contrary to popular belief, Lorem Ipsum is not simply random text. It has roots in a piece of classical Latin literature from 45 BC, making it over 2000 years old. Richard McClintock, a Latin professor at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, looked up one of the more obscure Latin words, consectetur, from a Lorem Ipsum passage, and going through the cites of the word in classical literature, discovered the undoubtable source.

POR VOS MUERO

World premiere 11 April  1996, Compañía Nacional de Danza, teatro de Madrid.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Jordi Savall
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel
Texto Garcilaso de la Vega
Voz: Miguel Bosé

Duato has inspired in old Spanish music of XV and XVI centuries together with some of the most beautiful verses of the Spanish poet Garcilaso de la Vega. Music and poetry connect the obvious contemporary dance of Por Vos Muero to his historic reference.

In XV and XVI centuries dances formed part of the cultural expression of people, including all social hierarchies, and therefore they produced a honest reflection of culture of that time. Por Vos Muero wants to pay a tribute to the very important role that dance played in every sort of social event during those ancient times.

NA FLORESTA

World premiere 15 February 1990, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Heitor Villalobos ( Wagner Tisso)
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Lighting. Nicolás Fischtel

DUENDE

World premiere 21 November 1991, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague.

PREMIERE BY COMPAÑÍA NACIONAL DE DANZA AT THE TEATRO LÍRICO NACIONAL LA ZARZUELA, 11 DECEMBER, 1992

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Claude Debussy
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Costumes: Susan Unger
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

Duato’s ‘ideas’ for a choreography are almost always preceded by his choice in music, which characterises his working method. Maybe this applies to Duende in particular, because the music was the only source of inspiration for this ballet. Long ago Duato fell in love with Debussy, especially by the way the composer makes nature sound in music. When he listens to this music, Duato visualises shapes, not people, relationships or events. This is why he considers Duende as an almost sculptural work: a body, a movement, that goes with the tune.

Duende literally means elfs and fairies, like the ones who tidy up children’s toys at night, but it can also mean rascal, a naughty child. One can also possess duende, when radiating energy and great charm, almost having a magical attraction. In Andalusia it is said flamenco has duende, which can hardly be translated into another language. Flamenco has a touch of spell, one might say, like the way black music has ‘soul’.

At the beginning of twentieth century Debussy was an unknown composer, and the public was suddenly listening to absolutely different sounds .Strange, beautiful and magical, as they must have been, these sounds have identified his complex cultural roots. Debussy’s music reveals classic and romantic origins apart from connections with lay music, the folk songs, Arab, eastern and slave cultures, and even with jazz.

Classicism may simply be explained as consecrated to form. In this sense, Romanticism is usually defined as the expression of emotions. However, the relationship between Debussy and these two concepts is not always as simple. Form and emotion are always present in his music, but more as the result of a process of insinuation than one of definition. In one of his rules for composers, Debussy wrote: “Discipline must be looked for in freedom”, this could be considered his first command.

Debussy is frequently identified with the impressionist artistic movement: but whereas painters like Monet gave a great importance to light, Debussy was mainly interested by the quality and effect of sound. Comments of Debussy about Stravinsky were that “he was widening the borders of the allowed in the empire of sound”, and this could undoubtedly be referred to in his own work.

ARCANGELO

World Premiere by Compañía Nacional de Danza at Teatro Real de Madrid, 31 May, 2000

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Arcangelo Corelli (Concerti Grossi Op. 6), Domenico Scarlatti (Il primo omicidio)
Light: Brad Fields
Costumes : Nacho Duato in collaboration with Ismael Aznar
Scenery: Nacho Duato
Length Of Performance: 32 min

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

RAPTUS

Premiered by the Nederlands Dans Theater at AT&T Danstheater, Den Haag, October 20th, 1988. Premiered by Compañía Nacional de Danza at Teatro de la Zarzuela de Madrid, November 22nd, 1996.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Richard Wagner Wesendonklieder
Sets: Walter Nobbe
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Light Design: Joop Caboort
Scenery: Walter Nobbe

Raptus, whose main characteristic lies in its passionate movements, is based on the romantic and emotive songs contained in Richard Wagner’s Wesendonklieder. These songs were inspired by the very intense, albeit hopeless, relationship between Wagner and Mary Wesendonk which was destined to be broken off. Even though the choreographer does not portray their conflict directly, the images and atmosphere created convey, without doubt, an evocative emotion. Walter Nobbe’s stage design plays and important role here. It consists of two large , thick moveable panels, one of whose sides is covered with reflecting material, and the other with images of the shoulders and head of a man and a woman.

The overall impression of Raptus is overwhelming, with uncontrolled passions leading to destruction. It is a ballet endowed with enormous intensity, in terms of movement, emotion and staging.

WHITE DARKNESS

World premiere 16 November 2001, Compañía Nacional de Danza, Teatro de la Zarzuela de Madrid.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Karl Jenkins
Costumes: Lourdes Frías
Scenery: Jaafar Chalabi
Lighting: Joop Caboort

DUENDE

World premiere 21 November 1991, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague.

PREMIERE BY COMPAÑÍA NACIONAL DE DANZA AT THE TEATRO LÍRICO NACIONAL LA ZARZUELA, 11 DECEMBER, 1992

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Claude Debussy
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Costumes: Susan Unger
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

Duato’s ‘ideas’ for a choreography are almost always preceded by his choice in music, which characterises his working method. Maybe this applies to Duende in particular, because the music was the only source of inspiration for this ballet. Long ago Duato fell in love with Debussy, especially by the way the composer makes nature sound in music. When he listens to this music, Duato visualises shapes, not people, relationships or events. This is why he considers Duende as an almost sculptural work: a body, a movement, that goes with the tune.

Duende literally means elfs and fairies, like the ones who tidy up children’s toys at night, but it can also mean rascal, a naughty child. One can also possess duende, when radiating energy and great charm, almost having a magical attraction. In Andalusia it is said flamenco has duende, which can hardly be translated into another language. Flamenco has a touch of spell, one might say, like the way black music has ‘soul’.

At the beginning of twentieth century Debussy was an unknown composer, and the public was suddenly listening to absolutely different sounds .Strange, beautiful and magical, as they must have been, these sounds have identified his complex cultural roots. Debussy’s music reveals classic and romantic origins apart from connections with lay music, the folk songs, Arab, eastern and slave cultures, and even with jazz.

Classicism may simply be explained as consecrated to form. In this sense, Romanticism is usually defined as the expression of emotions. However, the relationship between Debussy and these two concepts is not always as simple. Form and emotion are always present in his music, but more as the result of a process of insinuation than one of definition. In one of his rules for composers, Debussy wrote: “Discipline must be looked for in freedom”, this could be considered his first command.

Debussy is frequently identified with the impressionist artistic movement: but whereas painters like Monet gave a great importance to light, Debussy was mainly interested by the quality and effect of sound. Comments of Debussy about Stravinsky were that “he was widening the borders of the allowed in the empire of sound”, and this could undoubtedly be referred to in his own work.

CASTRATI

Contrary to popular belief, Lorem Ipsum is not simply random text. It has roots in a piece of classical Latin literature from 45 BC, making it over 2000 years old. Richard McClintock, a Latin professor at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, looked up one of the more obscure Latin words, consectetur, from a Lorem Ipsum passage, and going through the cites of the word in classical literature, discovered the undoubtable source.

COR PERDUT

First performed by the Nederlands Dans Theater 2 in The Hague on 27 April, 1989

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet after M.J.Berberian
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Lighting Design: Nacho Duato

Cor Perdut is a duet inspired on the song Bir Demet Yasemen, in the catalonian version done by mallorcan singer María del Mar Bonet from the original theme by M.J. Berberian. “It is not worth to cry /it is not worth to die / since desire is much stronger / just follow its own path”, sings the wonderful voice of María del Mar Bonet, whose enchanting power dominates Duato´s piece who has created this choreography as a birthday gift to the singer. Following the syncopated and hypnotic rhythm of the tunisian percussions the dancers recreates the dynamic and expressive body vocabulary of the choreographer perfectly matching the fluidity and sensuality of the singer´s voice.

REMANSOS

World premiere 5 Junio 1998, American Ballet Theatre ( New York), The City Center Theatre.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Enrique Granados
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Brad Fields/Nicolás Fischtel

First presented by American Ballet Theater, at City Center of New York on 5 November, 1997 and by Compañía Nacional de Danza of Spain at Teatro de Madrid, on 5 June, 1998.

Remanso, based on Poetic Watzes by Enrique Granados, has got major reception by audience and especialized critics.

Expresive power, geometry of lines, dinamics of space and forms, were some of the remarks about Duato´s work. From that very first version, Duato has extended the ballet for Compañía Nacional de Danza, transforming it into REMANSOS. Based on the music of Enrique Granados and inspired in the universe of Federico García Lorca Remansos, full of inventiviness, offers the observer a constant wink based on the perspicacity of movement.

ARCANGELO

World Premiere by Compañía Nacional de Danza at Teatro Real de Madrid, 31 May, 2000

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Arcangelo Corelli (Concerti Grossi Op. 6), Domenico Scarlatti (Il primo omicidio)
Light: Brad Fields
Costumes : Nacho Duato in collaboration with Ismael Aznar
Scenery: Nacho Duato
Length Of Performance: 32 min

COR PERDUT

First performed by the Nederlands Dans Theater 2 in The Hague on 27 April, 1989

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet after M.J.Berberian
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Lighting Design: Nacho Duato

Cor Perdut is a duet inspired on the song Bir Demet Yasemen, in the catalonian version done by mallorcan singer María del Mar Bonet from the original theme by M.J. Berberian. “It is not worth to cry /it is not worth to die / since desire is much stronger / just follow its own path”, sings the wonderful voice of María del Mar Bonet, whose enchanting power dominates Duato´s piece who has created this choreography as a birthday gift to the singer. Following the syncopated and hypnotic rhythm of the tunisian percussions the dancers recreates the dynamic and expressive body vocabulary of the choreographer perfectly matching the fluidity and sensuality of the singer´s voice.

NA FLORESTA

World premiere 15 February 1990, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Heitor Villalobos ( Wagner Tisso)
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Lighting. Nicolás Fischtel

POR VOS MUERO

World premiere 11 April  1996, Compañía Nacional de Danza, teatro de Madrid.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Jordi Savall
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel
Texto Garcilaso de la Vega
Voz: Miguel Bosé

Duato has inspired in old Spanish music of XV and XVI centuries together with some of the most beautiful verses of the Spanish poet Garcilaso de la Vega. Music and poetry connect the obvious contemporary dance of Por Vos Muero to his historic reference.

In XV and XVI centuries dances formed part of the cultural expression of people, including all social hierarchies, and therefore they produced a honest reflection of culture of that time. Por Vos Muero wants to pay a tribute to the very important role that dance played in every sort of social event during those ancient times.

RASSEMBLEMENT

World premiere 27 February 1990, The Cullberg Ballet ( Stockholm), Hjalmar Bergman theatre ( Örebro)

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Toto Bissainthe
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

SINFONIA INDIA

World premiere 7 June 1984, The Netherlands Dance Theater, Circus Theatre Scheveningen.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Carlos Chávez
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

UCCELLI

World premiere 17 Abril 1997, Compañía Nacional de Danza, Palacio de Festivales de Cantabria.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Ottorino Respighi
Costumes and scenery: Tom Schenk
Lighting: Joop Caboort

REMANSOS

World premiere 5 Junio 1998, American Ballet Theatre ( New York), The City Center Theatre.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Enrique Granados
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Brad Fields/Nicolás Fischtel

First presented by American Ballet Theater, at City Center of New York on 5 November, 1997 and by Compañía Nacional de Danza of Spain at Teatro de Madrid, on 5 June, 1998.

Remanso, based on Poetic Watzes by Enrique Granados, has got major reception by audience and especialized critics.

Expresive power, geometry of lines, dinamics of space and forms, were some of the remarks about Duato´s work. From that very first version, Duato has extended the ballet for Compañía Nacional de Danza, transforming it into REMANSOS. Based on the music of Enrique Granados and inspired in the universe of Federico García Lorca Remansos, full of inventiviness, offers the observer a constant wink based on the perspicacity of movement.

SELF

World premiere 17 Abril 1997, Compañía Nacional de Danza, Palacio de Festivales de Cantabria.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Alberto Iglesias
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Miguel Angel Camacho

REMANSOS

World premiere 5 Junio 1998, American Ballet Theatre ( New York), The City Center Theatre.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Enrique Granados
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Brad Fields/Nicolás Fischtel

First presented by American Ballet Theater, at City Center of New York on 5 November, 1997 and by Compañía Nacional de Danza of Spain at Teatro de Madrid, on 5 June, 1998.

Remanso, based on Poetic Watzes by Enrique Granados, has got major reception by audience and especialized critics.

Expresive power, geometry of lines, dinamics of space and forms, were some of the remarks about Duato´s work. From that very first version, Duato has extended the ballet for Compañía Nacional de Danza, transforming it into REMANSOS. Based on the music of Enrique Granados and inspired in the universe of Federico García Lorca Remansos, full of inventiviness, offers the observer a constant wink based on the perspicacity of movement.

POR VOS MUERO

World premiere 11 April  1996, Compañía Nacional de Danza, teatro de Madrid.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Jordi Savall
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel
Texto Garcilaso de la Vega
Voz: Miguel Bosé

Duato has inspired in old Spanish music of XV and XVI centuries together with some of the most beautiful verses of the Spanish poet Garcilaso de la Vega. Music and poetry connect the obvious contemporary dance of Por Vos Muero to his historic reference.

In XV and XVI centuries dances formed part of the cultural expression of people, including all social hierarchies, and therefore they produced a honest reflection of culture of that time. Por Vos Muero wants to pay a tribute to the very important role that dance played in every sort of social event during those ancient times.

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

REMANSO

World premiere 5 November 1997, American Ballet Theatre ( New York), The City Center Theatre.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Enrique Granados
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Brad Fields

First presented by American Ballet Theater, at City Center of New York on 5 November, 1997 and by Compañía Nacional de Danza of Spain at Teatro de Madrid, on 5 June, 1998.

Remanso, based on Poetic Watzes by Enrique Granados, has got major reception by audience and especialized critics.

Expresive power, geometry of lines, dinamics of space and forms, were some of the remarks about Duato´s work. From that very first version, Duato has extended the ballet for Compañía Nacional de Danza, transforming it into REMANSOS. Based on the music of Enrique Granados and inspired in the universe of Federico García Lorca Remansos, full of inventiviness, offers the observer a constant wink based on the perspicacity of movement.

WITHOUT WORDS

World premiere 29 October 1998, American Ballet Theatre, City Center Theatre (New York).

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Franz Schubert
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Brad Fields

REMANSO

World premiere 5 November 1997, American Ballet Theatre ( New York), The City Center Theatre.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Enrique Granados
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Brad Fields

First presented by American Ballet Theater, at City Center of New York on 5 November, 1997 and by Compañía Nacional de Danza of Spain at Teatro de Madrid, on 5 June, 1998.

Remanso, based on Poetic Watzes by Enrique Granados, has got major reception by audience and especialized critics.

Expresive power, geometry of lines, dinamics of space and forms, were some of the remarks about Duato´s work. From that very first version, Duato has extended the ballet for Compañía Nacional de Danza, transforming it into REMANSOS. Based on the music of Enrique Granados and inspired in the universe of Federico García Lorca Remansos, full of inventiviness, offers the observer a constant wink based on the perspicacity of movement.

WITHOUT WORDS

World premiere 29 October 1998, American Ballet Theatre, City Center Theatre (New York).

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Franz Schubert
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Brad Fields

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

REMANSO

World premiere 5 November 1997, American Ballet Theatre ( New York), The City Center Theatre.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Enrique Granados
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Brad Fields

First presented by American Ballet Theater, at City Center of New York on 5 November, 1997 and by Compañía Nacional de Danza of Spain at Teatro de Madrid, on 5 June, 1998.

Remanso, based on Poetic Watzes by Enrique Granados, has got major reception by audience and especialized critics.

Expresive power, geometry of lines, dinamics of space and forms, were some of the remarks about Duato´s work. From that very first version, Duato has extended the ballet for Compañía Nacional de Danza, transforming it into REMANSOS. Based on the music of Enrique Granados and inspired in the universe of Federico García Lorca Remansos, full of inventiviness, offers the observer a constant wink based on the perspicacity of movement.

COMING TOGETHER

World premiere by Compañía Nacional de Danza at Teatro de la Zarzuela, Madrid, 23 December 1991.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Frederic Rzewski(Coming Together)
Sets and Costumes: Nacho Duato
Light Design: Nicolás Fischtel

The turbulent repetition of musical structures and recited text from the Frederic Rzewski’s frantic composition provides with the accompaniment and counterpoint to an abstract work by Nacho Duato who uses his effervescence both to bring us closer to furious frenzy and hysterics, and as a contrast in his creation of oniric atmospheres. Both phenomenons appear alternatively as well as simultaneously as it could happen with the rhythms and sensations which develop within a big city.

The result, of an obvious comtemporary style, forces the spectator to focus his attention on the multiple changes of the choreographic process as well as on the system and structure of steps, instead of the ordinary descriptive and narrative elements.

Frederic Rzewski’s piece entitled Coming Together and Attica written for narrator and instruments, to be performed ad libitum in two parts, is of crucial importance in the history of repetitive music and not only because of its obvious influence on later pieces. Here the repetitive techniques and structuring are not an end in themselves but the means of creating a coherent musical, dramatic world. While this piece just like Rzewski’s other works makes use of improvisation and repetition it is also a committed work both in the social and the political sense. Rzewski managed to combine the political, ideological meaning of the text and the musical structure into a homogeneous whole by means of an original “minimal” idea.

The eight sentences from a letter by Sam Melville (a political prisoner killed in the 1971 Attica prison riots) are first narrated in an additive then in a deductive progression. The title of the piece is a reference to a sentence of the letter and to the technique of musical improvisation.

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

WITHOUT WORDS

World premiere 29 October 1998, American Ballet Theatre, City Center Theatre (New York).

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Franz Schubert
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Brad Fields

ARCANGELO

World Premiere by Compañía Nacional de Danza at Teatro Real de Madrid, 31 May, 2000

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Arcangelo Corelli (Concerti Grossi Op. 6), Domenico Scarlatti (Il primo omicidio)
Light: Brad Fields
Costumes : Nacho Duato in collaboration with Ismael Aznar
Scenery: Nacho Duato
Length Of Performance: 32 min

COR PERDUT

First performed by the Nederlands Dans Theater 2 in The Hague on 27 April, 1989

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet after M.J.Berberian
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Lighting Design: Nacho Duato

Cor Perdut is a duet inspired on the song Bir Demet Yasemen, in the catalonian version done by mallorcan singer María del Mar Bonet from the original theme by M.J. Berberian. “It is not worth to cry /it is not worth to die / since desire is much stronger / just follow its own path”, sings the wonderful voice of María del Mar Bonet, whose enchanting power dominates Duato´s piece who has created this choreography as a birthday gift to the singer. Following the syncopated and hypnotic rhythm of the tunisian percussions the dancers recreates the dynamic and expressive body vocabulary of the choreographer perfectly matching the fluidity and sensuality of the singer´s voice.

NA FLORESTA

World premiere 15 February 1990, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Heitor Villalobos ( Wagner Tisso)
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Lighting. Nicolás Fischtel

GNAWA

World premiere 9 September 1993, Hubbard Street Dance Street ( Chicago-USA)

Premiere performance by the Hubbard Street Dance Chicago at the Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance, March 2005

Premiered by the Compañía Nacional de Danza 2 at the Teatro Gran Vía, Madrid, the 18th of April 2007

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: collage
Costumes: Luis Devota y Modesto Lomba
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

In 1992 in his home city of Valencia, Nacho Duato premiered Mediterrania, searching deeper into his roots and those of his forebears, and his sense of complicity with the Mediterranean Sea.

In Gnawa, premiered by the Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in 2005, the renowned choreographer has continued along the path he set out on with Mediterrania, seeking to transmit, through the medium of movement, the sensuality of the landscape, the true nature of its peoples. With a suggestive musical score replete with Spanish and North African sounds, Gnawa captivates its audience through its all-encompassing power and its sensual elegance, combining the spirituality and organic rhythm of the Mediterranean.

Gnawa is the name that receives in Morocco and other parts of the Magreb the members of different mystic Muslim brotherhoods characterized by their sub-saharian origin and the use of song, dances and syncretic rituals as a mean to reach ecstasy. This term also refers to a musical style of sub-saharian reminiscences practised by these brotherhoods or by musicians inspired by them. It is considered one of the main Moroccan Folklore genres.  

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

RASSEMBLEMENT

World premiere 27 February 1990, The Cullberg Ballet ( Stockholm), Hjalmar Bergman theatre ( Örebro)

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Toto Bissainthe
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

VIOLONCELLO

DUENDE

World premiere 21 November 1991, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague.

PREMIERE BY COMPAÑÍA NACIONAL DE DANZA AT THE TEATRO LÍRICO NACIONAL LA ZARZUELA, 11 DECEMBER, 1992

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Claude Debussy
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Costumes: Susan Unger
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

Duato’s ‘ideas’ for a choreography are almost always preceded by his choice in music, which characterises his working method. Maybe this applies to Duende in particular, because the music was the only source of inspiration for this ballet. Long ago Duato fell in love with Debussy, especially by the way the composer makes nature sound in music. When he listens to this music, Duato visualises shapes, not people, relationships or events. This is why he considers Duende as an almost sculptural work: a body, a movement, that goes with the tune.

Duende literally means elfs and fairies, like the ones who tidy up children’s toys at night, but it can also mean rascal, a naughty child. One can also possess duende, when radiating energy and great charm, almost having a magical attraction. In Andalusia it is said flamenco has duende, which can hardly be translated into another language. Flamenco has a touch of spell, one might say, like the way black music has ‘soul’.

At the beginning of twentieth century Debussy was an unknown composer, and the public was suddenly listening to absolutely different sounds .Strange, beautiful and magical, as they must have been, these sounds have identified his complex cultural roots. Debussy’s music reveals classic and romantic origins apart from connections with lay music, the folk songs, Arab, eastern and slave cultures, and even with jazz.

Classicism may simply be explained as consecrated to form. In this sense, Romanticism is usually defined as the expression of emotions. However, the relationship between Debussy and these two concepts is not always as simple. Form and emotion are always present in his music, but more as the result of a process of insinuation than one of definition. In one of his rules for composers, Debussy wrote: “Discipline must be looked for in freedom”, this could be considered his first command.

Debussy is frequently identified with the impressionist artistic movement: but whereas painters like Monet gave a great importance to light, Debussy was mainly interested by the quality and effect of sound. Comments of Debussy about Stravinsky were that “he was widening the borders of the allowed in the empire of sound”, and this could undoubtedly be referred to in his own work.

GNAWA

World premiere 9 September 1993, Hubbard Street Dance Street ( Chicago-USA)

Premiere performance by the Hubbard Street Dance Chicago at the Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance, March 2005

Premiered by the Compañía Nacional de Danza 2 at the Teatro Gran Vía, Madrid, the 18th of April 2007

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: collage
Costumes: Luis Devota y Modesto Lomba
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

In 1992 in his home city of Valencia, Nacho Duato premiered Mediterrania, searching deeper into his roots and those of his forebears, and his sense of complicity with the Mediterranean Sea.

In Gnawa, premiered by the Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in 2005, the renowned choreographer has continued along the path he set out on with Mediterrania, seeking to transmit, through the medium of movement, the sensuality of the landscape, the true nature of its peoples. With a suggestive musical score replete with Spanish and North African sounds, Gnawa captivates its audience through its all-encompassing power and its sensual elegance, combining the spirituality and organic rhythm of the Mediterranean.

Gnawa is the name that receives in Morocco and other parts of the Magreb the members of different mystic Muslim brotherhoods characterized by their sub-saharian origin and the use of song, dances and syncretic rituals as a mean to reach ecstasy. This term also refers to a musical style of sub-saharian reminiscences practised by these brotherhoods or by musicians inspired by them. It is considered one of the main Moroccan Folklore genres.  

POR VOS MUERO

World premiere 11 April  1996, Compañía Nacional de Danza, teatro de Madrid.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Jordi Savall
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel
Texto Garcilaso de la Vega
Voz: Miguel Bosé

Duato has inspired in old Spanish music of XV and XVI centuries together with some of the most beautiful verses of the Spanish poet Garcilaso de la Vega. Music and poetry connect the obvious contemporary dance of Por Vos Muero to his historic reference.

In XV and XVI centuries dances formed part of the cultural expression of people, including all social hierarchies, and therefore they produced a honest reflection of culture of that time. Por Vos Muero wants to pay a tribute to the very important role that dance played in every sort of social event during those ancient times.

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

NA FLORESTA

World premiere 15 February 1990, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Heitor Villalobos ( Wagner Tisso)
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Lighting. Nicolás Fischtel

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

WITHOUT WORDS

World premiere 29 October 1998, American Ballet Theatre, City Center Theatre (New York).

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Franz Schubert
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Brad Fields

WITHOUT WORDS

World premiere 29 October 1998, American Ballet Theatre, City Center Theatre (New York).

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Franz Schubert
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Brad Fields

REMANSOS

World premiere 5 Junio 1998, American Ballet Theatre ( New York), The City Center Theatre.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Enrique Granados
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Brad Fields/Nicolás Fischtel

First presented by American Ballet Theater, at City Center of New York on 5 November, 1997 and by Compañía Nacional de Danza of Spain at Teatro de Madrid, on 5 June, 1998.

Remanso, based on Poetic Watzes by Enrique Granados, has got major reception by audience and especialized critics.

Expresive power, geometry of lines, dinamics of space and forms, were some of the remarks about Duato´s work. From that very first version, Duato has extended the ballet for Compañía Nacional de Danza, transforming it into REMANSOS. Based on the music of Enrique Granados and inspired in the universe of Federico García Lorca Remansos, full of inventiviness, offers the observer a constant wink based on the perspicacity of movement.

COR PERDUT

First performed by the Nederlands Dans Theater 2 in The Hague on 27 April, 1989

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet after M.J.Berberian
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Lighting Design: Nacho Duato

Cor Perdut is a duet inspired on the song Bir Demet Yasemen, in the catalonian version done by mallorcan singer María del Mar Bonet from the original theme by M.J. Berberian. “It is not worth to cry /it is not worth to die / since desire is much stronger / just follow its own path”, sings the wonderful voice of María del Mar Bonet, whose enchanting power dominates Duato´s piece who has created this choreography as a birthday gift to the singer. Following the syncopated and hypnotic rhythm of the tunisian percussions the dancers recreates the dynamic and expressive body vocabulary of the choreographer perfectly matching the fluidity and sensuality of the singer´s voice.

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

EL NARANJO

POR VOS MUERO

World premiere 11 April  1996, Compañía Nacional de Danza, teatro de Madrid.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Jordi Savall
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel
Texto Garcilaso de la Vega
Voz: Miguel Bosé

Duato has inspired in old Spanish music of XV and XVI centuries together with some of the most beautiful verses of the Spanish poet Garcilaso de la Vega. Music and poetry connect the obvious contemporary dance of Por Vos Muero to his historic reference.

In XV and XVI centuries dances formed part of the cultural expression of people, including all social hierarchies, and therefore they produced a honest reflection of culture of that time. Por Vos Muero wants to pay a tribute to the very important role that dance played in every sort of social event during those ancient times.

RASSEMBLEMENT

World premiere 27 February 1990, The Cullberg Ballet ( Stockholm), Hjalmar Bergman theatre ( Örebro)

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Toto Bissainthe
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

RASSEMBLEMENT

World premiere 27 February 1990, The Cullberg Ballet ( Stockholm), Hjalmar Bergman theatre ( Örebro)

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Toto Bissainthe
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

JARDI TANCAT

World premiere 19 December 1983, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

WITHOUT WORDS

World premiere 29 October 1998, American Ballet Theatre, City Center Theatre (New York).

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Franz Schubert
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Brad Fields

COMING TOGETHER

World premiere by Compañía Nacional de Danza at Teatro de la Zarzuela, Madrid, 23 December 1991.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Frederic Rzewski(Coming Together)
Sets and Costumes: Nacho Duato
Light Design: Nicolás Fischtel

The turbulent repetition of musical structures and recited text from the Frederic Rzewski’s frantic composition provides with the accompaniment and counterpoint to an abstract work by Nacho Duato who uses his effervescence both to bring us closer to furious frenzy and hysterics, and as a contrast in his creation of oniric atmospheres. Both phenomenons appear alternatively as well as simultaneously as it could happen with the rhythms and sensations which develop within a big city.

The result, of an obvious comtemporary style, forces the spectator to focus his attention on the multiple changes of the choreographic process as well as on the system and structure of steps, instead of the ordinary descriptive and narrative elements.

Frederic Rzewski’s piece entitled Coming Together and Attica written for narrator and instruments, to be performed ad libitum in two parts, is of crucial importance in the history of repetitive music and not only because of its obvious influence on later pieces. Here the repetitive techniques and structuring are not an end in themselves but the means of creating a coherent musical, dramatic world. While this piece just like Rzewski’s other works makes use of improvisation and repetition it is also a committed work both in the social and the political sense. Rzewski managed to combine the political, ideological meaning of the text and the musical structure into a homogeneous whole by means of an original “minimal” idea.

The eight sentences from a letter by Sam Melville (a political prisoner killed in the 1971 Attica prison riots) are first narrated in an additive then in a deductive progression. The title of the piece is a reference to a sentence of the letter and to the technique of musical improvisation.

DUENDE

World premiere 21 November 1991, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague.

PREMIERE BY COMPAÑÍA NACIONAL DE DANZA AT THE TEATRO LÍRICO NACIONAL LA ZARZUELA, 11 DECEMBER, 1992

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Claude Debussy
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Costumes: Susan Unger
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

Duato’s ‘ideas’ for a choreography are almost always preceded by his choice in music, which characterises his working method. Maybe this applies to Duende in particular, because the music was the only source of inspiration for this ballet. Long ago Duato fell in love with Debussy, especially by the way the composer makes nature sound in music. When he listens to this music, Duato visualises shapes, not people, relationships or events. This is why he considers Duende as an almost sculptural work: a body, a movement, that goes with the tune.

Duende literally means elfs and fairies, like the ones who tidy up children’s toys at night, but it can also mean rascal, a naughty child. One can also possess duende, when radiating energy and great charm, almost having a magical attraction. In Andalusia it is said flamenco has duende, which can hardly be translated into another language. Flamenco has a touch of spell, one might say, like the way black music has ‘soul’.

At the beginning of twentieth century Debussy was an unknown composer, and the public was suddenly listening to absolutely different sounds .Strange, beautiful and magical, as they must have been, these sounds have identified his complex cultural roots. Debussy’s music reveals classic and romantic origins apart from connections with lay music, the folk songs, Arab, eastern and slave cultures, and even with jazz.

Classicism may simply be explained as consecrated to form. In this sense, Romanticism is usually defined as the expression of emotions. However, the relationship between Debussy and these two concepts is not always as simple. Form and emotion are always present in his music, but more as the result of a process of insinuation than one of definition. In one of his rules for composers, Debussy wrote: “Discipline must be looked for in freedom”, this could be considered his first command.

Debussy is frequently identified with the impressionist artistic movement: but whereas painters like Monet gave a great importance to light, Debussy was mainly interested by the quality and effect of sound. Comments of Debussy about Stravinsky were that “he was widening the borders of the allowed in the empire of sound”, and this could undoubtedly be referred to in his own work.

ARENAL

World premiere 26 Enero 1988, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Rdward Effron

GNAWA

World premiere 9 September 1993, Hubbard Street Dance Street ( Chicago-USA)

Premiere performance by the Hubbard Street Dance Chicago at the Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance, March 2005

Premiered by the Compañía Nacional de Danza 2 at the Teatro Gran Vía, Madrid, the 18th of April 2007

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: collage
Costumes: Luis Devota y Modesto Lomba
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

In 1992 in his home city of Valencia, Nacho Duato premiered Mediterrania, searching deeper into his roots and those of his forebears, and his sense of complicity with the Mediterranean Sea.

In Gnawa, premiered by the Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in 2005, the renowned choreographer has continued along the path he set out on with Mediterrania, seeking to transmit, through the medium of movement, the sensuality of the landscape, the true nature of its peoples. With a suggestive musical score replete with Spanish and North African sounds, Gnawa captivates its audience through its all-encompassing power and its sensual elegance, combining the spirituality and organic rhythm of the Mediterranean.

Gnawa is the name that receives in Morocco and other parts of the Magreb the members of different mystic Muslim brotherhoods characterized by their sub-saharian origin and the use of song, dances and syncretic rituals as a mean to reach ecstasy. This term also refers to a musical style of sub-saharian reminiscences practised by these brotherhoods or by musicians inspired by them. It is considered one of the main Moroccan Folklore genres.  

L’AMOROSO

World premiere by Compañía Nacional de Danza 2 at Teatro de Madrid on  May 21,  2004

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Guido Balestracci
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

L’Amoroso is Nacho Duato’s first piece created expressly for the Compañía Nacional de Danza 2.
The choreographer uses a selection of concerts of viola da gamba from the Italian baroque. The soft, artful music and the freshness and youth of the dancers inspire Duato to create a dynamic and vital atmosphere on stage.

POR VOS MUERO

World premiere 11 April  1996, Compañía Nacional de Danza, teatro de Madrid.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Jordi Savall
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel
Texto Garcilaso de la Vega
Voz: Miguel Bosé

Duato has inspired in old Spanish music of XV and XVI centuries together with some of the most beautiful verses of the Spanish poet Garcilaso de la Vega. Music and poetry connect the obvious contemporary dance of Por Vos Muero to his historic reference.

In XV and XVI centuries dances formed part of the cultural expression of people, including all social hierarchies, and therefore they produced a honest reflection of culture of that time. Por Vos Muero wants to pay a tribute to the very important role that dance played in every sort of social event during those ancient times.

RASSEMBLEMENT

World premiere 27 February 1990, The Cullberg Ballet ( Stockholm), Hjalmar Bergman theatre ( Örebro)

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Toto Bissainthe
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Nicolás Fischtel

REMANSOS

World premiere 5 Junio 1998, American Ballet Theatre ( New York), The City Center Theatre.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Enrique Granados
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Brad Fields/Nicolás Fischtel

First presented by American Ballet Theater, at City Center of New York on 5 November, 1997 and by Compañía Nacional de Danza of Spain at Teatro de Madrid, on 5 June, 1998.

Remanso, based on Poetic Watzes by Enrique Granados, has got major reception by audience and especialized critics.

Expresive power, geometry of lines, dinamics of space and forms, were some of the remarks about Duato´s work. From that very first version, Duato has extended the ballet for Compañía Nacional de Danza, transforming it into REMANSOS. Based on the music of Enrique Granados and inspired in the universe of Federico García Lorca Remansos, full of inventiviness, offers the observer a constant wink based on the perspicacity of movement.

WITHOUT WORDS

World premiere 29 October 1998, American Ballet Theatre, City Center Theatre (New York).

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Franz Schubert
Costumes and scenery: Nacho Duato
Lighting: Brad Fields

COR PERDUT

First performed by the Nederlands Dans Theater 2 in The Hague on 27 April, 1989

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: María del Mar Bonet after M.J.Berberian
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Lighting Design: Nacho Duato

Cor Perdut is a duet inspired on the song Bir Demet Yasemen, in the catalonian version done by mallorcan singer María del Mar Bonet from the original theme by M.J. Berberian. “It is not worth to cry /it is not worth to die / since desire is much stronger / just follow its own path”, sings the wonderful voice of María del Mar Bonet, whose enchanting power dominates Duato´s piece who has created this choreography as a birthday gift to the singer. Following the syncopated and hypnotic rhythm of the tunisian percussions the dancers recreates the dynamic and expressive body vocabulary of the choreographer perfectly matching the fluidity and sensuality of the singer´s voice.

NA FLORESTA

World premiere 15 February 1990, The Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague.

Choreography: Nacho Duato
Music: Heitor Villalobos ( Wagner Tisso)
Costumes: Nacho Duato
Scenery: Walter Nobbe
Lighting. Nicolás Fischtel