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Rosario Toledo (Photo
Daniel Muñoz) |
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I was surprised to see how much
you danced, at a time when a standard structure of three
dance pieces followed by two cantes to change wardrobe
is becoming the norm...
I've been told many times. I wonder if
I'm going to get bad reviews for dancing too much! But
I think that you have to do something different. Everyone
does their thing in this life, and I want to express myself
that way whenever I can. I try to pay attention to detail
and I know that I might fall into the trap of repeating
myself, but if you're insecure it shows even if you only
dance five minutes. The problem isn't whether you dance
too much or too little, it's insecurity, doubt, fear.
Bear in mind also that there were shorter numbers, with
four or five details. Some things got added along the
way, like the tangos which I put together for the climax
of the show ‘Cadiz’. It was perfect for this
show. And that's it, keep moving forward. When I can't
keep it up then I'll stop, but when you're young, the
more sincere and the more hard-working you are, the better.
I have to carry on learning, listening, watching.
That's the wonderful thing about this artform - that it
never comes out the same. It's always evolving so long
as it's alive inside you.
And what is ‘Del primer
paso’?
We first did it in the Cádiz en
Danza season, organized by Fernando Lima. He asked me
for a project linked with the world of dance, as I come
from a Spanish classical background. And I tried to use
cante, which to me is the heart of flamenco, but doing
dance. I wanted it to come from myself, from all the baggage
I've picked up since my beginnings, and adapt it to flamenco
vocals a capella. It isn't easy to find the right person.
And David Palomar has that presence that's so important,
he has something that counts, as well as singing really
well. I suggested it to him, because it's an experimental
project and it evolves from show to show.
I have solo moments, but once he appears
on stage we're both alone: sing for me and dance for me.
It has its difficult side. For me it's tricky because
it's a different atmosphere, but for him too because there's
no guitar. There's just the two of us on a platform, and
I move it, I take it there, I bring it back. And he has
that ability, he can be on a stage on foot... he's a natural
performer. I didn't want a vocalist to just fulfill my
needs. He can't even sit down. This is different, there's
a lot of interaction between the two of us. There are
several palos and several situations, but we're always
together, engrossed in dialog. To have people so close
in the street is something you have to bear in mind, because
you don't have the intimacy of that magical box that is
the theater. This is a lot more open. And you share it
more with people, the energy from out there reaches you
a lot more. We can't lose that contact with people because
then we're not saying anything. And that teaches you a
lot. It gives you freedom because depending on how you
see people, you can improvise. And personally I like to
try things out - if you don't make mistakes you don't
learn in life.
But in recent years you've done
the most diverse projects and joint ventures imaginable:
from Alice in Wonderland to dancing to the music of José
Antonio Rodríguez.
Yeah, that's right. But I love it, because
you always learn something. And I've had the chance to
work with really good directors: Pepe Quero, Pepa Gamboa,
Julio Fraga... From each of them, if you're willing and
open-minded, you can learn a lot. And specifically for
dance, they help movement flow. If not you can stay the
way you are - that's fine for some people - but I want
to carry on opening doors.
With José Antonio Rodríguez
I also have a really good time. I love dancing to his
compositions. It's hard because he's fairly rich on a
musical level. We understand one another well and I know
that he's happy with my work. But guitarists do it for
me... I've been lucky enough to dance with almost all
the guitarists. That helps you grow in terms of what you
learn, if you like to listen and ask questions of course.
They always said I had a good sense of music and I listened
well. And that helps you develop.
Rosario Toledo with David
Palomar in the street performance
'Del primer paso' (Foto Daniel Muñoz)
And now you're also working on
a project with Ana Salazar to première at the 2008
Festival Bienal de Sevilla...
That's all ready to go. It arose from
a need that we have to get on stage and do something of
our own. We're like sisters - not genetically but artistically,
in terms of friendship, of learning, of maturity. We had
to break off in different directions, but we came a long
way together. We want to do a show where it really is
the two of us. We don't want it to be one part Rosario,
one part Ana and a snippet of the two. There's no script;
dance and music are going to hold our show together. We
have Guillermo McGill doing music, that's a true privilege.
And we love being together on stage, we understand one
another well. We're like two peas in a pod.
There aren't many projects from
artists in collaboration...
That's intriguing. And I think before
there was more collaboration. When there was an artist
for each thing, three or four of them would get together...
like El Güito with Mario Maya, Farruco with Rafael
el Negro. Maybe they weren't proper shows, but they were
something. That gives you greater richness and better
communication.
And how do you see the outlook
for flamenco dance?
I'm a positive person. I always try to
see the good side. I know that probably flamenco is so
far evolved that in two shakes anyone can put together
a company and everybody's a choreographer. But I try to
see the good side of that, and I see a lot of artists
doing things I like. I see this as a good point, because
there are different things around, modern-day things.
If we don't forget where we come from, so long as we show
respect, then everyone's entitled to use their own approach.
There are a lot of professional, interesting, young, different
people. Whether or not you call what they do flamenco
- I think that's a pretty weak argument. I look on the
positive side, because if an artform isn't alive, doesn't
evolve, doesn't take on new directions and new trends,
then it doesn't contribute anything.
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