"The outside and inside of the dancer"
Lali is a creative, passionate and amazing dancer, who has been working, among others, with Akram Khan company, Roberto Olivan, Hofesh shechter, Marcos Morau and Publik Eye Company. she is a wonderful choreographer as well, collaboration with many artists such as Anton Lachky, Joan Ramon Graell, Young Jin Kim, Joan Català, Jordi Molina, Akira Yoshida and others. In 2010, she was nominated as “Exceptional dancer” for the Critics awards of London, and in 2014 as “Best Creator”. In 2016, she was also nominated as “Best Dancer” for the “Recomana.cat” Critics awards in Barcelona.
She starred the short movie “TIMECODE” which was awarded with the Palme d’Or at Festival de Cannes, the Goya Award, the Gaudi Award and was nominated at the Oscars 2016 among others.
-What is important in order to be a good and mature dancer?
“For me a good dancer and mature maybe is this dancer that accepts that sometimes nothing
happens but actually you are telling a lot and also is a dancer that is searching , that doesn’t
accept the zone of comfort but is able or willing to go somewhere else.”
-You are an amazing choreographer and you also have your own company. What fascinates you about choreography?
“Choreography it’s not an easy thing. In my work right now I’m working a lot about identity so I focus on individualism but it also fascinates me how these different people that I take they can be together in the group. I always like to see the outside and inside of a dancer.”
-When you create a piece, what catches your attention in another dancer?
“What catches my attention in other dancers is what they are telling with their movement and how. Of course I work a lot in quality but at the end I always ask myself what is that telling me? And if nothing is there it doesn’t work, so we have to search for it.”
-When can you actually define if you are satisfied with your work?
“I’m never satisfied with my work. It is very difficult because everyday I would change something. But if as a general feeling the interpreters move me that’s already good!!!”
-What is the importance of the process of improvisation and researching?
“In my work the improvisation and research is fundamental . I never want to set too early because I can kill an idea. In my performances the interpreters have to always be alive and feel what they do and if they don’t movement means nothing , suddenly everything becomes empty but when they do feel, it is magic. I like that , this invisible thing that is between humans , the way they look at each other, the way they interact and that , all that, is in the movement.”
-What is the importance of technique and what is it?
“For me the technique is very important because once you have it you can destroy it. But which kind of technique... that it depends on your interest. Believe it or not I did ballet and contemporary and ballet gave me lines and contemporary different things but gave me a lot of freedom . For me one very important thing is that you have to be very conscious of your body and you have to take care of it. It’s very important to be able to use your
articulations and to know when you use muscle or not.”
-What is the importance of dance in society? What is our role in being dancers and choreographers?
“It is very different to be a choreographer than a dancer. A dancer give a lot of feelings to the audience , I hope. Many times there is a certain abstract beauty . For me the bodies can be so beautiful , it’s a pleasure for the eye to watch.
As a choreographer you want to tell something but I’m talking about something general . The piece. It’s not about you but about the piece, you do anything so that the piece will work so you play with a lot of things and you have many collaborators that make this possible like: the composer, the light designer , the set designer, the dramaturg, the production team. In the end it becomes the work of a lot of people because all that I mention is very important for the piece.”
-You are also a teacher. What would you like to transmit to your students?
“Yes I’m a teacher as well, I always like to teach because I learn a lot about myself too. What I would like to transmit is that keep investigating , know your body and play with it in different
ways.”
-Why are you so passionate about dance? Why did dance become a necessity for you?
“I don’ t know why I’m so passionate about dance. This is something I can not explain . It’s something I feel and is always inside me. Now that time is passing I see how much we have to take care of our bodies.”
-Can you give some advice to young dancers?
“I don’t know, meet people that you like, share things, investigate and keep your curiosity.”