Japanese Tourist

The “Orient” (that construction invented by Western cultures) has been present in theatrical dance since its very beginnings. Indeed, the whole idea of fascination for the unfamiliar and exotic, or anything that (supposedly) comes from far away, is a significant aspect of the mechanism of ballet in the theatre, where the spectator waits in the darkness to be presented with an illusion that comes from beyond him, that is, on the stage. Today, that construction we have called the “Orient” has recently  produced a number of popular new fantasies centring on Japan.

It seems Nacho Duato has also succumbed to this impulse: his most recent work, premiered at the Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid by his Compañia National de Danza, is devoted to a fantasy world called Japan. “Dieci­siete“ (“Seventeen“ – the compulsory number of syllables in a haiku) contains all the usual references: kimonos, fans, snow, calligraphy, brave warriors, delicate yet vio­lent female characters and a rugged rock. As usual, all these elements are displayed with the extremely good taste that comes from Duato‘s well-known ability to create idealised images of nature. In many senses, “Diecisiete“ is not far removed ...