Graceful arm work and slippers were a must. At the
other end of the scale, thezarzuelagave audiences
more of a cabaret style, and still does. A second wave
of the Classical style, now referred to as Spanish
Neoclassical dance, emerged in the late 19thcentury,
and, by the early 1900s, the new movement had a
figurehead: La Argentina. Applying her training in ballet
to the regional dances of Spain she wowed Europe and
America. La Argentina also collaborated with Spain’s
contemporary composers and writers, working in
particular with Manuel de Falla and Federico García
Lorca.
The Spanish take on modern dance
Spain’s contribution to modern dance draws on its
heritage, blending ethnic tradition with the free
expression of contemporary work.The melding of styles
is seen in the work of dancers who also choreograph.
Joaquín Cortés mixes full-blooded, powerfully sweaty
flamencowith ballet and modern dance; and Nacho
Duato has built on a ballet background in routines that
take their inspiration both from within and outside
Spain. Both have found international success. A recent
Duato piece,Herrumbre(2004), addressing torture,
was motivated by photographs of prisoners at the US
detention camp in Guantanamo Bay. Barcelona is
perhaps the most progressive city for dance, with its
numerous clubs and theatres, but Madrid hosts the
major institutions.The Compañia Nacional de Danza,
guided by the aforementioned Nacho Duato for nearly
two decades as artistic director, has a fine reputation
around Europe for groundbreaking productions. Similarly,
the Ballet Nacional de España splices new work,
flamencoand folk within its more traditional
ballet repertoire.
209
- Identity: the
building blocks of
2. Literature
and philosophy
3. Art and
architecture
4. Performing
arts
5. Cinema
and fashion
6. Media and
communications
7. Food and drink 8. Living culture:
the details of
La Argentina:
Queen of Castanets
She was born in Buenos
Aires (hence the
nickname, La Argentina)
and died in France, but
Antonia Mercé was
undeniably Spanish. Her
Andalusian father and
Castilian mother were
both professional
dancers (they were on
tour in Argentina when
she was born) and,
accordingly, by the time
La Argentina was 11,
she was already the
star turn at the Madrid
Opera. She retired from
ballet at the lofty age of
14 and turned instead
to regional folk dance.
Plugging away for years,
eventually her Classical-
folk crossover style
became a hit, playing an
important role in the
birth of contemporary
dance. Much of her time
was spent in Paris and
London. Apparently she
was a genius with the
castanets, earning a
second pseudonym,
Queen of Castanets.
She died of a heart
attack, aged 45, on the
same day that Franco’s
troops rose up in
Morocco starting the
Civil War.
