The Corella Ballet Castilla y León is embarking on its first American tour. Tonight it débuts in Seattle and Angel Corella talked to a local journalist.
On his reason for creating the company in 2007:
Spain has always created ballet dancers but they haven't had Spanish companies to perform with. I want Spanish dancers to have a place to call home and allow Spaniards to see their friends and families dancing in their own country.”
On choosing dancers:
I've been lucky to dance with the Kirov, La Scala, New York City Ballet, and others and I can see that each has something wonderful to offer, so I don't want to have a particular type of dancer. It's the diversity of bodies and minds that makes us so special. We're creating art and communication with the audience, and every dancer has to see a role from their point of view. When you throw your energy out to the audience, when you break that wall with the audience, the magic starts to happen.”
On the future:
We're always sold out and lines go for hours. The royal family is involved, the quality of the dancers and the repertoire is very high and there is always something new and exciting to do. We're creating history and that's a wonderful thing.”
via Crosscut.com
Photo: Natalia Tapia & Fernando Bufalá in Bruch Violín Concerto by Jesús Vallinas

Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano') about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.
His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia' column for Dancing Times magazine.