Select your language
Saltar al contingut Saltar a la navegació Informació de contacte
La Bella Otero
Sevilla
Sevilla
La Bella Otero can be considered an ‘operatic ballet’ in the widest sense of the word. It is a large-scale production, as much on account of the number of dancers as the range of costumes, which rigorously recreate the world of Paris’ Belle Époque (1871-1914), as well as the dramatisation of the story.
It recounts the intense life of Carolina Otero, one of the most famous and influential dancers of the late 19th century. A woman who came from a tiny village in Galicia, who invented herself following a tragic event in her childhood. She exploited men to further her artistic career and was admired by kings across Europe, but the only lover in whose arms she fell was gambling.
Why La Bella Otero?
I was drawn to the story of Bella Otero by the idea that one of the most famous women of her era came from a small town in Pontevedra. I came across this character many years ago, before I started my career as a choreographer. I really wanted to create a choreography for her, but I knew that it had to be with a big ballet company. As Director of the Ballet Nacional de España, I now have that opportunity and I believe that it will be an important piece of work.
La Bella Otero is the first piece of work with a plot that I have directed for the Ballet Nacional de España since I was appointed Director in 2019. In spirit, the two previous programmes, Invocación and Centenario Antonio Ruiz Soler, were about the spirit of enjoying Spanish dance in all its different styles. This time, I have made dance a vehicle for the plot, as a way of recounting the life of a surprising woman, using styles that range from folk dance to contemporary dance.
It is an emotive spectacle, and a dramatic one too, because it tells the story of a woman who invents her own origins to reach the highest echelons of society, yet ends up alone and forgotten.
Rubén Olmo
Director Ballet Nacional de España
Sevilla Teatro de la Maestranza
Sevilla Teatro de la Maestranza
