Ballet Nacional de España presents its new season after a successful tour of Mexico

After the successful close of last season with a five-week tour of Mexico, Ballet Nacional de España opens its 2022–2023 season by presenting new programs, national and international tours, special collaborations, and new choreography workshops.

NEW CREATIONS, REVIVAL OF PROGRAMS AND CONSOLIDATION OF SHOWS

On September 8^th, Ballet Nacional de España opened its season at Teatros del Canal with the presentation of a new program, selling out its three performances. This new program, Generaciones, is marked by very clear principles: tradition and renewal in Spanish dance. Director Rubén Olmo champions the need to recover the classics without losing sight of new currents.

Generaciones starts from the tradition of Spanish dance and also reflects the evolution of stage proposals through three generations of creators. It brings together one of the classical Spanish dance titles most loved by dancers, Ritmos, by Alberto Lorca, with a score by José Nieto, and the personal interpretation of flamenco that Antonio Canales created in Grito.

The program is completed by three world-premiere solos, created by contemporary artists with distinct personalities who have renewed contemporary dance, flamenco and Spanish dance, making them permeable to other styles: Pastorela, by Antonio Ruz, with music by Manuel Blasco Nebra; Aurora, a reflection on the self by Jesús Carmona, with music by Isaac Albéniz; and Jacaranda, by Rubén Olmo, a solo inspired by the symbiosis between the essence of nature and that of woman. The music is a composition by Alberto Ginastera.

In addition to Generaciones, throughout the 2022–2023 season the Ballet Nacional de España will continue to consolidate the programs Invocación and La Bella Otero within its national and international tour schedule.

Invocación premiered at the Festival de Jerez in 2020. For Rubén Olmo, “Invocación is a very complete program in which audiences can enjoy flamenco full of life and strength on stage, a ballet of the purest stylized dance, and one of the few recent choreographies in the escuela bolera style.” In addition to Invocación bolera, Jauleña and Eterna Iberia, this program continues to offer the opportunity to introduce international audiences to De lo flamenco. Tribute to Mario Maya, dedicated to one of the great creators of Spanish dance: the dancer, choreographer and director who changed the aesthetics and concept of flamenco.

La Bella Otero, premiered in July 2021 at Madrid’s Teatro de la Zarzuela, is an original choreography by Rubén Olmo, with dramaturgy by Gregor Acuña-Pohl and music by Manuel Busto. It tells the story of one of the most famous Spanish artists of the 19^th century, who triumphed at the Folies Bergère in Paris and conquered the hearts of kings throughout Europe. In this program, we will continue to feature guest artists of the stature of Patricia Guerrero, winner of the 2021 National Dance Award, as well as young performers such as former Ballet Nacional de España dancer Aitana Rousseau.

La Bella Otero blends different genres, from Spanish dance — including Galician folklore and flamenco — to zarzuela, cancan and contemporary dance.

In addition, at the end of this year we will premiere the third repertoire work revived this 2022–2023 season. El loco, by Javier Latorre, will be performed at Madrid’s Teatro de la Zarzuela from December 9^th to 22^nd. First premiered in 2004, it is a ballet inspired by the artistic and existential journey of bailaor Félix Fernández “El loco” and his inner anguish after collaborating with Diaghilev, Massine and the Ballets Russes on the premiere of El sombrero de tres picos. A reflection on the artist and his demons, it is a dance show about the creation of dance, with dramaturgy by Francisco López and music by Manuel de Falla, Mauricio Sotelo and Juan Manuel Cañizares.

TOURS, SPECIAL COLLABORATIONS AND CHOREOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS

The dissemination of Spain’s rich choreographic heritage, embracing its stylistic plurality, and the promotion of its national and international projection through cultural alliances between institutions are two of the principles set out in the Ballet Nacional de España’s 2019–2024 Master Plan, under the direction of Rubén Olmo. Within the framework of this mission, the Ballet Nacional de España will continue touring several cities in Spain and abroad with the programs Invocación and La Bella Otero. After our performances at Teatros del Canal in Madrid, the company will visit Athens, Albacete, Málaga, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Colombia, Tel Aviv in Israel, and other venues that we cannot yet announce.

Among the special collaborations we will begin this season, it is worth highlighting the participation of several members of the Ballet Nacional de España in special collaborations by principal dancers and soloists, including, in some cases, performances with symphony orchestras. November will mark the beginning of this collaboration with the program Falla with the New World Symphony in Miami, USA.

As part of the Ballet Nacional de España’s outreach work, live streaming broadcasts of the choreography workshops held during the season will continue to be offered as part of the ongoing training of the company’s dancers. In the words of director Rubén Olmo: “The aim of these workshops is for the dancers to deepen their knowledge of all styles and explore new trends with specialized Spanish dance choreographers.” This year we begin the workshops in October with bailaor and choreographer Alfonso Losa.

2022–2023 PROGRAMMING

2022

MADRID
September 8^th–10^th, 2022
Teatros del Canal
GENERACIONES
Ritmos, Pastorela, Aurora, Jacaranda, Grito

ATHENS, Greece
September 18^th and 19^th, 2022
Odeon of Herodes Atticus
INVOCACIÓN
Invocación bolera, Jauleña, Eterna Iberia, De lo flamenco. Tribute to Mario Maya

ALBACETE
September 30^th–October 2^nd, 2022
Teatro Circo
LA BELLA OTERO

MÁLAGA
October 29^th and 30^th, 2022
Teatro Circo
LA BELLA OTERO

POZUELO DE ALARCÓN
November 26^th and 27^th, 2022
Teatro Mira
EL LOCO (Preview)

MIAMI, United States
December 9^th and 10^th, 2022
New World Center
New World Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Carlos Miguel Prieto
FALLA
El amor brujo and El sombre de tres picos (Selección)

MADRID
December 9^th–22^nd, 2022
Teatro de la Zarzuela
EL LOCO (Premiere)

2023*

BOGOTÁ, Colombia
May 2023

TEL AVIV, Israel
July 12^th–15^th, 2022

*Note: The Ballet Nacional de España’s national tour in 2023 is pending announcement for contractual reasons.