Compañía Nacional de Danza

Your first steps in dance begin with your studies at the Mariemma Royal Conservatory of Dance in Madrid. Why did you decide to start there?

Actually my first ballet class was when I was four years old at a small dance school, Esther Recuero, where I was until I was eight years old.

Of course, at the age of eight, I was not the one who decided that I should study at the Mariemma Royal Professional Conservatory of Dance, it was my mother.

I remember that day as if it were yesterday, when my mother asked me: Juanjo, do you want to continue dancing and doing dance? I answered yes, because I had fun and I liked it. My mother told me that if I wanted to continue dancing I would have to change schools. At that moment my world fell on me, I didn’t want to. Finally I took the entrance test to the conservatory and was accepted.

In 2011 you were given the opportunity to participate in the summer program at the School of American Ballet in New York, where you continued your studies for a year. What did this experience give you?

It gave me too many things, experiences, knowledge, etc. It was a unique year in a city like New York where you couldn’t feel better welcomed.

It is curious that the person who gave me a scholarship to be able to take the SAB summer course was my current director, Joaquín De Luz. During the summer course they offered me to stay in the last year of the SAB and be able to graduate.

A year later you began to work at the American Ballet Theater II with important teachers. What would you highlight about them? Do you consider them your first references?

Almost every teacher I have worked with has been a role model for me, since they are the ones who helped me become the dancer I am today. However, I do consider that year as a reference since I was able to learn a lot from watching dancers like Ivan Vasiliev, Roberto Bolle, Daniil Simkin, Paloma Herrera, etc. in my same class or rehearsal.

In 2013 you began training at the Orlando Ballet and a year later you became part of it. What was it like to work in a European ballet after living the experience in America?

I worked at Orlando Ballet for two years, the first with an apprentice contract and the second as a member of the company.

It is curious how the dance, the style and the way of dancing can be so different depending on the country or continent. Of course, the pace of American companies is much faster than those of most European countries.

There you were able to dance different classic ballets such as Swan Lake, Coppelia or The Nutcracker. What was the work process like?

It was very fun, every two or three months we performed a different ballet on stage. You learn a lot in a very short period of time.

In 2015 you joined the National Dance Company under the direction of José Carlos Martínez. What did this change mean for you?

It was a very big change in my life, I didn’t expect to return to Spain so young. It was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down. However, my plan at that time was to stay at the CND for two years at most and then fly again to other countries and other companies. Here I am still in my seventh season. I like my country too much, my people and above all being close to my loved ones.

Currently it is Joaquín De Luz who heads the CND. How would you define him?

I would define it as family. Joaquín De Luz is obviously influenced by the American dance style, which has characteristics that I personally love. The speed, the turns, the jumps, the energy, are many of the characteristics that Joaquín has brought with him to the CND.

In the Company you have been able to dance classic choreographies, but also more contemporary ones such as Remansos by Nacho Duato or Arriaga by Joaquín De Luz, Mar Aguiló and Pino Alosa. What style do you identify with the most?

I am a dancer who has always been fascinated by classical dance and its black hole. It is a discipline that requires perfection and is therefore unattainable. I think that’s the beauty of classical dance. As I have grown as a dancer, I have discovered that it is quite easy for me to achieve a neoclassical movement. Even so, I don’t like to put labels, I like to consider myself as a versatile dancer who likes to learn new styles and, above all, improve them.

We know that you have a personal dance company project: Nexus. Tell us a little about it. Besides directing, do you choreograph and dance? What plans do you have in the short term?

The Nexus Company is a very ambitious long-term project. We want to offer products related to dance and entertainment that currently do not exist. From short pieces of any discipline such as contemporary dance, Spanish dance, to shows where different artistic styles interfere.

Finally, what goals do you have for the future? How do you plan to celebrate your birthday?

Goals for the future? Many. Plans? Many and none. I like to live in the present and enjoy it. The future? It’s a mystery.

JUAN JOSÉ CARAZO – CORPS DE BALLET CND

Interview: Natalia del Buey