Regarded as one of the leading contemporary dance companies in Europe, Spain's Compania Nacional de Danza brings its distinctively choreographed works to Taiwan for the first time as part of a whirlwind Asian tour.
Schooled in classical ballet, the company integrates classical dance with contemporary choreography, making use of modern music, stage and costume design.
In a telephone interview, Herve Palito, artistic coordinator of the Compania Nacional de Danza, explained how the company pays homage to the conventional techniques of ballet while using the "language" of dance today.
"Ballet uses a lot of arm and leg movement, separated from the center of the body. We use organic movement that originates in the center of the body. All our dancers are classically trained, so we respect the technique [of ballet] but combine it with more fluid movements," Palito said.
Much of the Spanish dance company's identity is owed to its renowned in-house choreographer, Nacho Duato. Unfortunately, due to a reoccurring back problem that worsened after performances in Hong Kong last month, Duato was unable to accompany his dancers to Taiwan. The program, however, will not be affected by Duato's absence since Multiplicity, the piece in which he dances was never scheduled to be performed here.
A seasoned dancer and emerging choreographer, Duato has spent several years performing in both Europe and North America. After 10 years with the Nederlands Dans Theatre, he returned to Spain to become the artistic director of the Compania Nacional de Danza in 1990.
In his early works, Duato focused on researching his cultural roots and in turn composed pieces that illuminate Spain's distinct regions. Two of the three pieces being performed in Taipei, Arenal and Txalaparta,were inspired by folk songs and instruments from the Spanish Catalan and Basque regions.
Unlike the festive celebrations in Arenal and Txalaparta, that use rhythmic movements and spirited group dancing, the third piece, White Darkness contrasts with this merry atmosphere by using somber solos and the music of Karl Jenkins to create a more abstract, drug-like world where the dancers move their bodies as though under the influence of drugs.
The lack of an underlying theme in the three pieces being performed in Taiwan is the intention of Duato who, according to Palito, prefers to contrast the works in his program. "We often mix a lot of different works together in the program. There is no need to repeat the same concepts and become repetitive. Each piece should communicate something new and different to the audience, he said.
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