Compañía Nacional de Danza

Good morning Sara, how are you? And a happy birthday to you!
Hi, very well thanks. And thank you very much!

The word ‘vocation’ if very much associated with the arts. Where did your passion for dance come from?
To be perfectly honest, my passion for dance was thanks to my sister. She got me hooked into this world. When I as fifteen, they started broadcasting Nacho Duato’s Paso a Paso on the TV, showing his work and that of other influential choreographers at that time. It was then that I realised that what I was seeing was what I wanted to do. Duato talked of the Mediterranean, of poetry, of colours and textures … I fell in love with the plasticity of his choreographies and his dancers.

What was your transition period like before finally landing in Madrid?
The Almeria Conservatory celebrated the annual Week of Dance with invited guest teachers from different specialties. Some of those teachers talked with my parents to see if they open to giving me the opportunity of finalising my studies in Madrid, as they thought I could have a future in this professionIt was the Mariema dance conservatory that offered me a place as a student.

Your training covered different dance techniques. Which do you feel most comfortable with and why?
It was a bolt out of the blue; as soon as I started with contemporary dance with my teacher, Cecilia Montenegro, I discovered the pleasure there was in toying with and defying the challenge gravity poses to the weight of the body. Contemporary dance gave me the freedom to express with the body what I was perhaps having difficulty with expressing in words.

How would you define yourself as a dancer?
I consider myself a passionate, committed and determined dancer.

You formed part of CND2. What is your most treasured memory of that period?
The wonder years… I have so many lovely memories of that time! The most special memory for me is feeling a part of that ideal family we formed as dancers, technicians and costumiers, all brought together by our beloved director, Tony Fabre—who I still miss greatly—and the repetiteurs Cati Arteaga and Fabrice Edelmann. We were a really close-knit bunch all working in the same direction; everything was plain sailing.

How was your path from CND2 to the CND? What was the change like for you?
The surprise came when I got back from the 2010 Christmas holidays and Nacho Duato dropped the news he had a contract for me at the CND. At the end of that season, Duato announced to us all he was leaving the company. That was a sad and tough period.

What main roles have you performed? Which do you most fondly remember?
In the years I was dancing for CND2, I danced main roles in Nacho Duato’s Duende y Gnawa and I danced as Carmen in Tony Fabre’s Carmen Replay. Throughout these years at the CND, I have danced the main roles in Nacho Duato’s Por vos muero and Johan Inger’s Carmen. And last season I took the amazing opportunity to dance the main role in Nacho Duato’s White Darkness; without a doubt the most special part of my career; a dream come true.

We know that before entering dance you were a swimmer. How do you look back at that stage of your life?
Yes, it’s true. I started swimming at the age of eight and they immediately licensed me to compete in provincial and regional tournaments and, a few years later, at national level. My beginnings in dance where at the age of nine. So, from then until the age of fifteen I spent the whole day out the house; even at weekends if I was travelling to compete in a swimming tournament. There were times when I’d go to training sessions at the pool before school or at night after finishing my classes at the conservatory.

Do you see any links between swimming and dance?
I find the both involve the determination to better yourself; in swimming, to beat your personal records and in dance to attain excellence. Another link in common, and not such a nice one, is competitiveness.

Was there a specific moment when you had to choose between swimming and dance?
Yes. At fifteen I decided to drop competitions and to devote my time to my studies and dance. I was increasingly convinced that I could really find fulfilment in dance.

Do you swim in your free time or is that all in the past now?
Nowadays, I only swim when I’m at the seaside. And if by chance I’m presented with a pool before me, I’ll just do a few lengths; I can’t stand chlorine.

And to finish, seeing how it’s your birthday, we should drink to that, no? So, the classic question: are you more a wine or beer person?
Hahaha! I’m all for both, depending on the moment.

SARA FERNÁNDEZ – CORPS DE BALLET

Interview: Monserrat Martínez