The Work Created by the Spanish Choreographer Juan Ignacio Duato - Research Paper Example

Juan Ignacio Duato Bárcia, also known as Nacho Duato Valencia, was one of the modern choreographers that impacted the world of music even in the 21stcentury. Nacho Duato was born in January 8, 1957, and was a Spanish modern, dancer, ballet artist, choreographer, whose creative imagination and excellent talent enabled him to enhance his work internationally (Anderson). Duato began his dancing career in England since Spain did not have reputable dance schools. At age 16, he attended Ballet Rambert School ( Puelio ).". Although he was told that his age served as a barrier to dance, but his teachers told him that he possessed something inspiring. Duato never gave up and continued to attend dancing schools ("Performing Arts" ). This enabled him to mature in a nurturing environment and enabled him to absorb diversity of both cultures. His dedication to training along with his solid physique enabled him to become a great dancer. In addition, he also attended Mudra School in Brussels and Alvin Ailey American Dance Center in New York("Performing Arts" ). The end of his education paved the way to begin his career by joining several ballets. Throughout his career, Duato has met flourished under spotlight. After a long regime of dictatorship by Franco in Spain during the 1980’s, an enlightening of cultural revival boomed in Spain. Duato himself states his frustration as he states, “For years, Spanish culture was reduced to bull-fights, castanets, and foot-ball.” Suddenly, Spain became the “Mecca” for traditional art, dance and craft as the first national ballet ever in Spain was founded only in 1979. Duato was born in Valencia, Spain and signed a contract with Cullberg Ballet in the 1980’s. Duato signed his first choreography, "Jardi Tancat", in 1983 (winning the International Choreographers Competition in Cologne. Then, Duato was invited to lead the National Dance Company in 1990 in which he transformed the company that had no class, no personality and no identity. His experience working for the company was gratifying as he states, “The stringest demands we set ourselves professionally and, of course, the passion of all of us feel for dance”( Hodgins). Duato used his creative ability to assimilate dance moves, and hence impressed Jirí Kylián. Kylián immediately recognized his talents and thus brought him to Nederlands Dans theater. Duato build his reputation so rapidly that he achieved a Golden Dance Award in Netherlands for his brilliant work. However, Duato was not blinded by his success and continued to explore choreography. In 1983, his hard work yielded him huge success again as he won his first prize at International Choreographic Workshop. How was Duato able to appeal to his audience? Clearly, Duato’s choreography was so attractive since it corresponded well with modern aesthetics during his time. In addition, Duato had a great ability to connect with his audience since his work was full of enthusiasm, inspiration, and fantasy. His work was without a doubt an inspiration to world of dance as Duato himself states, I like the audience to receive energy through the body of the dancer. I try to abstain from using any kind of superficial adornments in the costumes and the sets. I feel the need to express sensations with body movements, without the help of ostentatious set designs. When the company comes out on stage, I like the audience to receive a considerable charge of energy and sensitivity through the dancers body. Dance must incorporate a bit of joint celebration and participation; its not something that leaves the audience out, but permits it to take part in what is happening.  Im not insecure about my dance; it was so natural for me to make ballets. They came out in a very spontaneous way. Furthermore, Duato’s work had no barriers as he defied the “norms” by introducing by using non European music at a time where European culture was prominent(Rodgers 5). Duato dedicated some of his work to Spanish culture by using African and Mediterranean music from the golden age era since it influenced Hispanic culture. However, Duato insists that rest of his work comes from his own creativity and his works extend beyond Hispanic tradition as he states, “I had already made 15 ballets and set my pieces on different companies around the world. I came already with a repertoire.” Moreover, he displayed sensuality and a sense of euphoria that was felt by his audience(Rodgers 3).. Duato’s focal point as a choreographer remained to offer pure entertainment to his guests. His fluent artistic ability was similar to his strong personality as he symbolized his opinions about politics, culture, and global issues in his dance. Evidently, this required dedication, willpower, and talent. Duato’s amazing artistic abilities enabled him to win several awards throughout his career. He won his first prize in Germany, and continued to accumulated awards in Netherlands, France, and Spain(Rodgers 3). In addition, the Spanish government awarded him with the Golden Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts in 1998 along with the Benois de la Dance at the International Dance, one of the most honorable international awards (Anderson). In 2003, Duato became the winner of Spain’s National Dance Award, in the Creative category. Lastly, in 2010 he was awarded with the Chile Arts Critics Circle Prize (Anderson).  As mentioned above, Duato’s work was filled with energy, passion, and innovative movements. Duato’s dance defied traditional aesthetic movements and incorporated breath taking choreography. Duato wanted to portray his dance symbolically as life, and wanted to share this amazing experience with his audience. A recent performance of Duanto’s ballet at Tulsa Ballet in New York revealed a closer look at his work of art as Dante Puleio states, The opening, dancers slowly running in place in flesh tone tights, accompanied by old Spanish music and text, immediately sets an entirely different tone of the previous work. Before you know it, you have women, with hand-held masks running dressed in 18th century looking dresses, flowing beautifully throughout with gorgeous dancing and choreography, then in come the men in velvet capes, with old church incense burners hanging from chains encircling, hiding, and revealing a soloist. I have never left a ballet performance feeling so enraptured and inspired by not only the showmanship, but also the life the dancers bring to the work. These dancers are amazing. Duato’s dance base is very contemporary and not traditional with a very strong classical base( http://www.alhma.com/nacho/nacho.htm). The dancers were required to be graceful even with strong, rapid dance moves implemented in the routines. At that time, new dancing fads such as break dancing began to emerge, and dancers began to put their own individuality, rather than confirming to a narrow technical sphere ( Puelio ).". What Duato was able to was quite fascinating, which was to use various dance movements of other cultures and incorporate in his work with an astounding flow. The symmetry in Duato’s work is beautiful and perfect writes Gerald Siegmund in his writing Frankfurter(“Nacho Duato”).. Siegmund goes on to say that “..the excellent ornamental postures of arms and legs, belong also to Duatos vocabulary, as well as his capacity to built up scenes." Clearly, Duato wants people to be aware of Duato’s work continues to be original and pure. His international projects continue to expand in Spain, Netherlands, Portugal, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, England, Norway, America, Canada, Japan, China, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Korea (Boccadoro). Although he is less influenced by classical ballet, he does look at other ballet companies such as Balanchine, Cranko, Kylian, and Bejart. Duato was inspired by the movement and music of two choreographers known as Béjart or Ailey. Duato loved their work because its modern choreography and their work extends beyond classical dancing as Duato states himself, “You have to be exposed to other ideas and companies. Classical dance has moved on since Frederick Ashton and these men are the great choreographers of our time( Puelio )." Theater in the 20th century slowly moved away from love stories to symbolize life and traumas that middle class had to face. In essence, drama began to grip the audience in a very effective manner(“Nacho Duato”).. Dauto liked Béjart also because of his strong personality. Moreover, Kylián had a huge impact in Dauto’s life and had been the role model for him throughout his lifetime. Dauto danced with Kylián for nine years because of the motivation and talent that oozed out of Kylián(“Nacho Duato”). Dauto also recognizes the fact that Kylián gave him an opportunity and realized Dauto’s dancing and choreographing ability (Boccadoro). Without a doubt, Duato continued to seek ideas from William Forsythe, Jiri Kylian, Mats Ek, Glen Tetley, Ohad Naharin, which influenced much of his work. Duato, is an accomplished artist whose résumé extends beyond ballet dancing as he was able to literally transform the dancing evolution that took part in Spain. In addition, Duato continues to expand globally as his ballets form part of the repertoire of the most important companies around the world. Without a doubt, Duato’s legacy and work will continue to serve as a prototype for young choreographers in the future. MLA Anderson, Janet. “Nacho Duato.” Philadelphia City paper”. Web. 5 August 2010. < http://citypaper.net/articles/2002-11-07/dance.shtml > Boccadoro, Patricia. “An interview with Nacho Duato.”Web. 5 August 2010 < http://www.culturekiosque.com/dance/inter/rhenacho.htm> Hodgins, Paul. “Nacho Duato brings Spains best dance to O.C.” Web. 5 August 2010. < http://www.ocregister.com/articles/duato-247028-company-very.html> "Nacho Duato." International Dictionary of Modern Dance. St. James Press, 1998.  Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2010. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC National Dance Company. Ministry of Culture of Spain.2010. Web. 5 August 2010. < http://www.alhma.com/nacho/nacho.htm> "Performing Arts." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2010. Web. 5 Aug. 2010  . Puelio, Dante. “Tulsa Ballet at the Joyce Theater, NYC.” iDANZ critic corner.Web. 5 August 2010. < http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2063563/> Rodgers, E.J.” Encyclopedia of Contemporary Spanish Culture” London, England, 1999. Print Read More