NACHO DUATO
ACADEMY
Nacho Duato Academy emerged as a result of the collaboration between Spanish choreographer Nacho Duato and his former dancers from the National Dance Company, who have worked side by side with him for over 20 years. This project surged out of the need to preserve a large part of the cultural heritage of dance created by Duato during his 20 years as the director of the CND and to expand and update the current offer in dance education through selective training focused on the current challenges of the performing arts, whilst incorporating the traditional demands of Classical Ballet, Spanish Dance and the Bolero School. Nacho Duato Academy integrates the department for classical ballet that offers official ballet school studies and corresponding degree recognized by the state. It was founded by the prestigious teacher Carmen Roche, and it is continued by professionals that studied her pedagogy and teachings, as well as its curriculum made up of elementary, professional, and superior cycles.
In addition to the professional ballet school for students age 4-18, Nacho Duato has created Nacho Duato Trainee Program, a one-to-two-year pre-professional ballet program for students ages 16 and above who are preparing for a professional dance career. NDTP offers internship experience with the Nacho Duato Company (CND) during the trainee year to dancers chosen by choreographer during their training.
Our one to two-year graduate course offers exceptional, in-depth training that will equip students with knowledge and insight, develop skills in classical and contemporary ballet, repertoire, movement, music, research, critical and contextual studies as well as, personal and professional development to sustain young dancers in their career in dance. NDTP is an important stepping stone which can help edge dancers toward their dream job.
We aim to empower and validate future professional ballet dancers as highly versatile ARTISTS and creative individuals, powerful creators that provide their communities with beauty, interaction, and inspiration but at the same time give thoughtful critique to our political, economic and social system.
Our main goal is to educate strong, capable, positive, and hardworking individuals who would jump at any opportunity to be doing what they love.
We provide exceptional moments and distinctively personal, cultural, and professional experiences in the heart of one of Europe’s most cultural capitals, Madrid, through our well-organised studies program built on professional training, creative education, and stage experience.
NACHO DUATO TRAINEE PROGRAM
NDTP is designed to provide versatility to young dancers and forms highly skilled professionals ready to access ballet companies all over the world. The program is strongly focused on Classical Ballet complemented by study of Duato´s repertoire.
Throughout the day, the students will merge into Nacho Duato’s repertoire and rehearse with his dancers, under strict guidance from Nacho Duato. The unique style developed by Duato is expressive, fluid, and fast. It is fully contemporary in spirit but utilizes a strong base of classical ballet and insists on turn-out, pointed feet, and the graciousness that classical dance gives the dancer.
NDA CLASSICAL BALLET SCHOOL
NDA Ballet School is a regulated private dance centre that offers official degrees in dance education and is regulated and authorized by the Community of Madrid and the Ministry of Education in Spain. The education is divided into official Elementary Dance Education (age 8 and above) and Professional Dance education into 2 different areas: Classical Ballet and Spanish Dance studies (age 12 and above).
ABOUT US
NACHO DUATO
Nacho Duato began his professional career at Netherlands Dance Theatre and Cullberg Ballet. He worked with Maurice Bejart, Alvin Ailey and Jiri Kylian before starting his career as a choreographer. After several years of success and international awards, Nacho Duato became Artistic Director of the National Dance Company in Madrid in 1990, where he developed his career as a choreographer of great international renown. He received the Gold Medal of Merit in Fine Arts, the title of Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Benois de la Danse and the Spanish National Dance Award among others.
From 2011-2014, Nacho Duato held the position of Artistic Director of the Mikhailovsky Ballet of St. Petersburg. From 2014-2018, Nacho Duato held the position of Artistic Director of the Staatsballett
Berlin and Resident Choreographer at the Mikhailovsky Theatre, where he returned as Artistic Director in 2019.
NACHO DUATO DANCE ACADEMY FOUNDERS
We are two former dancers of Nacho Duato, dedicated teachers, and highly professional artists. We have dedicated our lives to dance and to the education of future dancers with great passion and with the vocation to transmit our knowledge and experience to young students. To achieve this, we have embarked on this project with the desire to bring the unique work of choreographer Nacho Duato back to his homeland and closer to young dance students.
We have placed our hearts and soul in this innovative project that can hopefully enrich the dance and artistic educational offer of the city of Madrid.
EMILIA JOVANOVICH
Emilia Jovanovich, a student and later a dancer at the Hamburg Staatsoper worked under the direction of the American choreographer John Neumeier, where she excelled in soloist and prima ballerina roles.
In 1998 she joined the National Dance Company, directed by Nacho Duato, where she danced most of the repertoire of the renowned choreographer. After finishing her professional career, she became a ballet teacher and in 2018 she returned to Spain as a Ballet Mistress and Assistant Choreographer of the Compañia Nacional de Danza in Madrid.
LUIS MARTIN OYA
Luis Martin Oya began his career at the Ballet del Teatro Lirico Nacional under the direction of Maya Plisetskaya. With the incorporation of Nacho Duato into the direction of the company, he was promoted to first dancer.
He participated in all of the Valencian choreographer’s creations and danced most of the CND’s repertoire, becoming one of the most renowned and versatile dancers in the company for 20 years. Once he finished his stage as a performer, Nacho Duato incorporated him into the production team of the CND as a tour manager, reaching the position of Production Director of the CND.
CARMEN ROCHE
HONORARY TEACHER AND FOUNDER
Named the “teacher of all teachers”, Carmen Roche has dedicated her entire professional life to dance. An exceptional dancer, she was a member of Ballet Gulbenkian and Le Ballet du XX Siècle by Maurice Béjart. In 1974 she began her pedagogical work as a teacher at the Brussels Conservatory and shortly after she was named Director of the newly opened Mudra School by Béjart.
On her return to Spain, she became the Assistant Director of the National Classical Ballet and Director of the National School of Classical Ballet.
In 1998 she created the Carmen Roche Foundation and shortly after, in 2002, she founded Scaena Performing Arts Centre and Professional Conservatory of Dance.
AÍDA GÓMEZ
DIRECTOR SPANISH DANCE DEPARTMENT
Aída Gómez, dancer, and choreographer, started her career as a soloist dancer with the Ballet Nacional de España. In 1985, when she just turned 17, she became a Principal Dancer. Years later, she was promoted to the Artistic Director of the same company. As a versatile artist, she has worked with some of the greatest figures in ballet such as Maurice Bejárt and his company Ballet du XXe siècle. She received the Great Cross of the Order Dos de Mayo de Comunidad de Madrid, the National Dance Award, the Silver Medal of the Teatro de Bellas Artes de Mexico, and the Max Award Fundacion SGAE.
LUCIA SPAGNOLI
GENERAL MANAGER AND PRESIDENT OF THE TRUSTEE BOARD
From an early age, Lucia Spagnoli exhibited an insatiable curiosity and thirst for the Arts. She pursued a career as an Art Broker in the United Kingdom. She entered the world of fashion and photography joining a renowned photographic team exposing her to production where she spent many years gaining valuable experience in this field. Further interests expand into architecture and urban design.
She later on decided to pursue higher education at renowned institutions where she honed her skills in the History of Arts in Italy. Upon meeting Nacho Duato, she decided to make a contribution to the world of dance and has become a founder and chairwoman of the Nacho Duato Academy.
NACHO DUATO ACADEMY TEAM
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