Credits

Music by Karl Jenkins
Choreography: Nacho Duato
Stage Designer: Jaffar Chalabi
Costume Designer: Lourdes Frías
Lighting Designer: Joop Caboort
Costume Technology: Alla Marusina
Choreographer’s Assistant: Thomas Klein
Music Director, Conductor: Marius Stravinsky
Assistant to Musical Director: Igor Tomashevsky

Artists

Conductor — Igor Tomashevsky

Without Words

World première: American Ballet Theater at the City Center in New York, 29 October 1998
Russian première: Mikhailovsky Theatre, 15 March 2011

Without Words is Nacho Duato’s second work for the prestigious American Ballet Theater company. The title refers to Schubert’s songs scores, which are instrumental music, music without words. As in the songs, the choreographer strips the dancing of any evident romantic atmosphere. Love and death appear as the central subjects derived from the music. A new world, with all its possibilities, is revealed in a dark existential scenographic space typical of the 20th century. Duato shows a universal vital cycle in all its spontaneity, free of unnecessary alignments and ornaments.

Duende

World première: Nederlands Dans Theater at the AT&T Danstheater, The Hague, 21 November 1991
Russian première: Mikhailovsky Theatre, 15 March 2011

Duato’s ‘ideas’ for choreography are almost always preceded by his choice of music, which characterises his working method. Maybe this applies to Duende in particular, because the music was the only source of inspiration for this ballet. Long ago, Duato fell in love with Debussy, especially with the way the composer makes nature sound in music. When he listens to this music, Duato visualises shapes, not people, relationships or events. This is why he considers Duende as an almost sculptural work: a body, a movement, that goes with the tune.

‘Duende’ literally means elf or fairy, like the ones who tidy upchildren’s toys at night, but it can also mean rascal, a naughty child. One can also possess ‘duende’, when radiating energy and great charm, almost having a magical attraction. In Andalusia flamenco is said ‘to have duende’, which can hardly be translated into another language. Flamenco has a touch of spell, one might say, like the way black music has ‘soul’.