Compañía Nacional de Danza

To promote and divulge the art of dance and dance repertoire to a broad audience. This means consolidating a stable company, open to all dance styles, choreographic languages and different movement arts in general, embracing both Spanish and international creations. All this aims to draw in new audiences and to boost the company’s reach and scope at home and abroad. And it will be carried out within a framework of complete artistic and creative freedom.

All this is guided by the principles of quality service for citizens and professional excellence, involving interest-group participation and a drive to educate, while ensuring efficient use of resources. The approach is underlined by the onward preservation, dissemination and performance of this invaluable and intangible heritage that is dance.

The artistic and management project presented by Muriel Romero proposes to expand the boundaries of the Company, enriching it with her extensive experience as a performer, creator, manager and educator, aspiring to connect “the world of the great classical companies with that of more independent productions, performance and the living arts; that of the academy with experimentation and the institutional path with the reality of the sector”.

One of the cornerstones of his program is to give the CND a singular character through a unique repertoire, which will make it possible to expand the classic dance icons by working with other arts (such as musical and literary creation), thus making it possible to extol Spain’s cultural heritage while continuing to develop a personality of its own for this center of creation.

In the next five years, Romero aspires to develop a Company that works with multiple styles and languages, but with excellence as its principle. He proposes to expand the repertoire with previously unrepresented works by established and emerging choreographers and choreographers, prioritizing national creators or those based in our country and artistic languages that have not had a space in the CND until now. It will also recover annually a repertoire work of the twentieth century not represented so far in Spain, always in line with the cast of the Company. One of its main objectives is to promote joint creation between contemporary choreographers and composers, as well as with artists from different disciplines, both national and foreign.

The artistic project includes a wide network of collaborations with other companies, institutions and scenic spaces in order to plan a touring system that allows the artistic quality and versatility of the CND to be taken throughout Spain – paying special attention to current challenges such as access to culture in rural areas – and abroad.

In its defense of a feminist, inclusive and diverse vision for the CND, the project also seeks to reinforce the commitment and vocation for dialogue among the members of the Company, to whom it will offer new opportunities through the annual CND Creators program -focused on dancers with choreographic concerns- and will pay special attention to their professional transition, proposing the creation of specific committees to adequately evaluate this important stage in their careers.

The CND will also continue with programs such as the CND Residencies and the accessibility work that has been carried out in recent years, focusing on the diversity of audiences and the presence of groups with fewer opportunities for access to artistic practices. In the field of education, collaboration with higher dance conservatories will be fostered and other transversal activities such as workshops, master classes, conferences and pedagogical functions will be promoted.

DIRECTOR PLAN COMPAÑIA NACIONAL DE DANZA

The Compañía Nacional de Danza was founded in 1979 under the name Ballet Clásico Nacional and headed by Víctor Ullate as its first director. In February 1983, María de Ávila took on the directorship of both the Ballet Nacional Español and the Ballet Clásico Español, placing special emphasis on opening the doors to choreographers such as George Balanchine and Antony Tudor. Furthermore, María de Ávila commissioned choreographies to the American dancer and choreographer Ray Barra, at the time resident in Spain. She later offered him the post as full-time director, which he accepted and held until December 1990.

In December 1987, the outstanding Russian dancer Maya Plisétskaya took her post as artistic ballet director. In June 1990, Nacho Duato was installed as artistic director of what was now called the Compañía Nacional de Danza (CND); a position he held for twenty years, up to July 2010. His incorporation brought about an innovative change to the company’s history and make up, with the inclusion of new, original choreographies within its repertoire, together with long-standing tried and tested works. In August 2010, Hervé Palito succeeded Duato as artistic director for one year.

In September 2011, José Carlos Martínez became the new director of the Compañía Nacional de Danza, at the helm of which he remained for eight years. As of September 2019, De Luz takes possession of his new position, which he holds for five years, until August 2024. In June 2024, INAEM, which is part of the Ministry of Culture, announces the appointment of Muriel Romero as the new director of the company.