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Andalucian
Dance Company
The genius of clay
By
Candela Olivo
The old warehouse is cold, gray and
somewhat metallic. The lights, in the style of a fish market, hang from a roof
which seems loose itself in its height, where a row of metal bars border the entrance
to the administrative offices. But without fail, the old warehouse heats up everyday
from the dancing. Heels to the floor, pounding to the beat, the space echoes a
metallic sound from the past. From ten to eleven, classical dance, coffee break,
a little ballet, an hour to rehearse the repertoire, another hour for spontaneous
choreography... and so on and so forth until two or three in the afternoon.
The old industrial warehouse, set
in the Alameda neighborhood of Seville, sees the birth, growth and maturation
of the products of the Andalucian Dance Company, which came into existence six
years ago by a public initiative which, according to the company's director, José
Antonio, aimed to, "preserve the essence of flamenco dance and build up a
base of performers and renowned creators."
If in its conception, the Andalucian Dance
Company had a very defined creative style, marked first by Mario Maya, and later
by María Pagés, the political forces gave it a swift change of philosophy,
starting in 1997. This was when José Antonio came in and marked a new era:
in place of an artistic director was now a director with the capabilities to run
an institution, and participate in the performances only on a spontaneous basis.
Since then, the company has been
a meeting point for a variety of choreographers including Mario Maya, Javier Latorre,
Manolete, Manolo Marín, María Pagés, Javier Barón
or José Antonio himself who make up the pieces of the mosaic that has become
the company. Raúl Gómez, one of the seventeen dancers, says that,
"we are like clay," adding that the move towards an artistic decentralization,
"is a facet that enriches the company and improves the learning process,
but with a very personal touch".
José Antonio claims that,
"I want the company to keep its wholeness, but without becoming the product
of one author... the key is in the versatility, without loosing the flamenco base
as the aesthetic criteria". Dancer José Luis Vidal adds that, "the
classical and the innovative go hand and hand in the company", and he points
out the more contemporary productions such as Vals Patético, choreographed
by José Antonio, and El Perro Andaluz (The Andalucian Dog) by María
Pagés which won the National Prize for Choreography in 1996.
The Andalucian Dance Company has already
produced fruits such Isabel Bayón and Rafael Campallo. José Antonio
comments that the company trys to, "really value the identities of the company's
artists, imposing my criteria, but without loosing the personal touch of the dancer."
One of the company's dancers, Alicia Márquez, completes this idea, explaining
that in order to, "create new dancers and later leave the doors open for
them so they can make their own way, the most important thing is to find their
own personality". And if the dancer's individuality doesn't get developed
as much, it is because, as José Antonio explains, "what we are trying
to highlight is the identity of the group as a whole".
In the company's mission to become
an incubator for new, the company takes on the identity of a Developmental Workshop.
Since last year, the company has molded thirteen very young aspiring dancers who
have already made their debut in the show Puntales that the Jerez based dancer,
El Pipa premiered for this year's Flamenco Bienal of Seville. José Antonio
notes that, "the workshop will provide sufficient talent for the company
as well as for other private groups that need new dancers".
After seven years of life, José
Antonio thinks that, "The Andalucian Dance Company still hasn't reached its
moment of maturity. I prefer to think that, although it has solidity and is functioning
well, that it continues develop... perhaps maturity is a synonym for being old".
And he adds that "there are still very talented people that could enrich
the company and there are infinite works to be created".
Looking towards the future, one of
the goals that the company is to provide, "a platform of adequate promotion
in order to expose the company around the world and above all in the popular environment
of Andalucia".
And in Andalucia, the company has
a special commitment, being supported by the Cultural Council of the Andalucian
government, "it is the Andalucians who have put in their resources, so it
is necessary to show where the push comes from". And this responsibility
goes along with a marked respect toward pubic opinion, "The roots have a
big influence", explains José Luis Vidal. If for instance, José
Antonio affirms that, "It is an error for an artist to think that their own
people are conquered, one always has to work with the feeling that they must win
both the respect and admiration of the public". But the Company seems leave
a permanent good taste in the mouths of the public, including a record standing
ovation of almost forty minutes... in Freiburg, Alemania.
By Candela Olivo
Translated by Jessica Lorber
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