Eva la Yerbabuena, bailaora and choreographer. Interview

"Latin American audiences are
hungry for flamenco"

Betina Bracciale. Buenos Aires, December 2003
Photos: Daniel Muñoz

Eva Yerbabuena just finished breakfast and is in a hallway where chattering in various languages can be heard. Not everyone who passes through here is aware of an interesting anecdote: Federico García Lorca lived in this building for six months in 1933. The dancer is able to perceive the omnipresence of the poet from Granada in the Hotel Castelar, a poet whom she rediscovered through flamenco and whom she considers one of the leading inspirations for her work. We speak with her frankly and openly regarding the links between flamenco and literature, cinema and other forms of dance. We also delved into her thoughts on the relationship between Latin American audiences and icons of Argentinian culture such as the work of Borges, and tango.

	Eva Yerbabuena

Among your influences you mention Carmen Amaya and La Argentinita, and you say you consider them revolutionaries in terms of the role women play in flamenco...

Carmen is a revolutionary in flamenco dance because women were rarely seen dancing in the way she did. She was one of the most versatile bailaoras, in terms not just of the strength in her feet, but throughout her body, in her gaze, in that waist, the way she used it with such strength, such sensuality but at the same time a certain fragility too. You could see everything in her. Along with La Argentinita she's one of the flamenco artistes we have most information about. There were other bailaoras too, like Rosario la Mejorana, but they get mentioned a lot less. I think women have played an important role in flamenco because it's an artform which has been male dominated and somewhat sexist. I guess that taking the decision to dance back in those days was a constant struggle both spiritually and physically because it was not regarded as fitting for women to be artists, one had to face prejudices from every corner of society.

You also mention male flamenco artists who inspire you, like Farruco or Güito. What can a bailaora learn from a bailaor?

I think every human being has their feminine and their masculine side. What strikes me about bailaores is that they can't hide anything. I mean, when he comes to position his body you can see everything, even the tiniest movement. You can't compare dancing in trousers to dancing in a ruffled skirt, it can hide more. I look to them to find the axis, the centre of gravity, as well as the movements which are part of the personality of each one.

You speak of a return to your roots but, at the same time, enriching your work. ¿What does your work have in common with contemporary dance? I read about your contacts with Pina Baush and the possibility of a future project together.

I never locked myself away in a studio to work on contemporary dance. I don't know if I ever will do that. Yes, I'm a person that likes to watch what's around and I like to learn from the outside looking in. I always say I try not to forget where I come from, nor where my roots lie. I want to use these two names we're talking about as my figureheads but from an early age I always sought not to tie myself down. Often I think of dance as a language that I chose at one time in my life, so... Why should I put limits on my body if I can learn from another type of movement without having to stop dancing flamenco? As for the project with Pina Baush, you'll get an answer when we've signed something definite.

Eva Yerbabuena

Do you value the link with classical dance which you were offered by Ballet Nacional de España?

Yes, everything opens your awareness, not only watching others dance, but working alongside them, seeing how they operate, how they behave, is something that is always enriching.

Tango and flamenco both share the possibility of improvisation, their popular origins and having their roots in a specific geographical location. Have you dabbled with that genre?

To be honest it isn't something I'm greatly familiar with, but I find tango very intense, and that's one of the qualities it shares with flamenco. It's passionate, sensual, very earthy.

What other non-flamenco artists - not necessarily dancers - have influenced your career?

It's a good question because there are always artists who influence the lives of other artists, and there's no reason why they should be from the same stable, is there? Without a doubt, in my case, I would have to mention Lorca.

Did you become aware of his work through Enrique Morente?

I grew up in Granada, his homeland, so I started to hear Federico García Lorca's name the moment I set foot in school. There you hear his name and they tell you a little of his life story, but I really started to discover Lorca through flamenco. That was when I started to listen to his work recited by cantaores. And, yes, Morente is the artist who's brought me closest to him.

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