NAME: Duato, Nacho

BIRTH DATE/LOCATION:
date unknown, Valencia, Spain

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Desmond Richardson, Vladimir Malakhov and Parrish Maynard in Nacho Duato's Remanso.
Photo: Paul Kolnik, courtesy American Ballet Theatre.

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  • identification & bio
  • key contact
  • human repositories
  • video documentation
  • photographic documentation
    		•
  • movement notation
  • production materials
  • oral history
  • personal papers
  • immediate needs
    		•
  • other relevant information
  • overview of works
  • bibliography
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    IDENTIFICATION AND BIO:
    Born in Spain, Nacho Duato is a ballet dancer and choreographer whose Remanso, created for American Ballet Theatre, is considered by some critics and audience members to be a treatment of an AIDS theme. This opinion has not been offered in press materials or statements from the choreographer, but in dancing, as in all the arts, context influences the meaning of the work. This appears to be the case with Remanso.

    Although he did not begin dancing until age eighteen, Duato only trained for a year and a half at Ballet Rambert before successfully auditioning for Maurice Bejart. Continuing his training at the Alvin Ailey school, Duato danced briefly with Ballet Nacional Clasico and the Cullberg Ballet of Sweden before joining Netherlands Dance Theater in 1981. Jardi Tancat, created for NDT's junior company in 1983, launched his choreographic career.

    Remanso (1997), a trio for three men, depicts a homoerotic triangle, described by Deborah Jowitt as being about "the butt beautiful." Village Voice editor Elizabeth Zimmer goes still farther in her interpretation, suggesting that the piece is about AIDS—in part because it ends with one of the dancers hanging upside down from a wall in red light. "It's very homoerotic, very task-oriented, and very 'patient etherized upon a table'-looking," Zimmer writes in an email (18 September 2000).

    KEY CONTACT PERSON(S)/EXECUTOR OF ESTATE:
    Nacho Duato's Compania Nacional de Danza
    Paseo de la Chopera 4
    Madrid 28045 SPAIN
    +34 1 517 20 72, 517 36 92 (phone)
    +34 1 473 42 91 (fax)

    HUMAN REPOSITORIES OF THE WORK
    (name and contact info, relationship to the artist and the work, assessment):
    Nacho Duato and the original American Ballet Theatre cast: Vladimir Malakhov, Parrish Maynard and Desmond Richardson.

    VIDEO DOCUMENTATION
    (location, format, condition, assessment):
    This videotape is widely available commercially, and in the Dance Collection of the New York Public Library:

    Variety and Virtuosity: American Ballet Theatre Now (c1998)—compilation video including Nacho Duato's Remanso (set, costumes, lighting, Nacho Duato; music by Enrique Granados; associate lighting designer Brad Fields; danced by Vladimir Malakhov, Parrish Maynard, and Keith Roberts); produced by Thirteen/WNET in association with RM Associates; produced by Judy Kinberg; ballets directed by Thomas Grimm; documentary directed by Judy Kinberg; ballets videotaped in performance at City Center, New York, in November 1997 and danced by American Ballet Theater; telecast by Thirteen/WNET on the Great Performances: Dance in America series on 27 May; one VHS (87 min.); call number MGZIA 4-3063.

    PHOTOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTATION
    (location, format, condition, assessment):
    American Ballet Theatre keeps production photographs in its files.

    MOVEMENT NOTATION
    (location, type [including notes taken by dancers], assessment):
    None identified.

    PRODUCTION MATERIALS
    (scores, sound recordings, set/costume designs):
    American Ballet Theatre houses all production materials for works in its repertory.

    ORAL HISTORY:
    None identified.

    PERSONAL PAPERS
    (location of newspaper clippings, printed programs, press releases, notes, files, diaries; assessment):
    Clippings, etc., are collected by American Ballet Theatre. The Dance Collection of the New York Public Library maintains a clipping file for "Duato, Nacho," call number MGZR.

    IMMEDIATE NEEDS
    (archival assistance? storage? other?):
    None identified.

    OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION:
    None identified.

    LIST OR OVERVIEW OF WORKS
    (title, premiere date, music, production notes, performers):

    Remanso (1997)—pas de trois for American Ballet Theatre; originally danced by Vladimir Malakhov, Desmond Richardson, and Parrish Maynard; music by Granados (Valses Poeticos).

    BIBLIOGRAPHY:

    • Barnes, Clive. 2000. "Masterpiece Theater: Covent Garden Blooms Anew." Dance Magazine (March): 72-75, illus.
    • Dommett, Claire. 1999. "Ek and Duato in Hamburg." Dance Europe 23 (August/September): 54, illus.
    • Howe-Beck, Linde. 1999/2000. "Reviews: Montreal." Dance International 27 (4) (Winter): 47-48, illus.
    • Jowitt, Deborah. 1997. "Getting Acquainted." Village Voice. (18 November): 109.
    • Kisselgoff, Anna. 1997. "Capitalizing on Rule-Breaking and 3 Dancers' Power" [review of Nacho Duato's Remanso]. New York Times (7 November): E8.
    • Kun, Laura. 1987."Spanish Dancer Finally Achieves Success in his Native Country." Dance Magazine (September): 104.
    • Lobenthal, Joel. 1997. "New York." Ballet Review 25 (4) (Winter): 8-11.
    • Mazo, Joseph H. 1994. "Nacho Duato: Dance with a Spanish Flavor." Dance Magazine (September): 52-53.
    • Modelski, Peff. 1999. "American Ballet Theatre." Attitude 13 (4) (Winter ): 14.
    • Reiter, Susan. 1998. "The Joys of Rep." Dance Australia 94 (February/March): 53-54, illus.
    • Solomons, Gus. 1998. "Reviews New York City: American Ballet Theatre." Dance Magazine (February): 107-108, 110, illus.
         		 
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