A unique gala evening of Spanish dance and dancers, featuring two world premieres and dancers from The Royal Ballet, will be presented by the British Spanish Society on 26 November at The Place, London.
The gala will celebrate the centenary year of the British Spanish Society, swiftly following the recent announcement of the nominations for the 2015 UK National Dance Awards, which have seen nine Spanish dancers and choreographers nominated.
Some of these talents will be appearing at the British Spanish Society gala. The Royal Ballet’s principal dancer, Laura Morera, from Madrid, has been nominated for Outstanding Female Performance in a Classical Role and she will dance with the Royal Ballet’s Ricardo Cervera, from Malaga. The pair will perform a duet from Liam Scarlett’s Viscera, which is currently being performed at the Royal Opera House.
Mallorcan choreographer, Avatâra Ayuso, has been nominated in the Emerging Artist category, in addition to Carlos Pons Guerra, a choreographer born in Gran Canaria who is director of DeNada Dance Theatre. Both artists will be presenting work at the gala. Ayuso is creating a new duet for AVA Dance Company, which will have its world premiere at this event, and Pons Guerra will bring his Young Man!, a Spanish take on Roland Petit’s Le Jeune Homme et La Mort, which is part of DeNada Dance Theatre’s Jamon y Pasion (Ham and Passion).
Former Rambert dancer, Estela Merlos (from Barcelona) will present the world premiere of Ukok, a solo that she has choreographed for herself, and the Baltic Dance Theatre will give its first UK performance of Phaedre by Izadora Weiss; the production premiered in Gdansk on 7 November. Phaedre features a cast of eighteen dancers, including six dancers who originate from Spain.
Tamara Rojo, Spanish prima ballerina and artistic director of English National Ballet, is the Gala’s Patron.