Who's Who in Kings of the Dance:
NACHO DUATO, Choreographer

Born in Valencia, Spain. Nacho Duato started professional ballet training with the Rambert School in London at eighteen, expanding studies at Maurice Béjart's Mudra School in Brussels and completing his dance education at The Alvin Ailey American Dance Centre in New York.

In 1980 Duato signed his first professional contract with the Cullberg Ballet in Stockholm and a year later Jirí Kylián brought him to the Nederlands Dans Theater in Holland, where he was quickly incorporated into company and repertoire.

For his achievements as a dancer he received the VSCD Gouden Dansprijs (Golden Dance Award) for the year 1987.

Duato's natural talent had him soon look beyond the limitations of a dancer and turned towards choreography. His first attempt in 1983 turned into a major succes: Jardí Tancat to Spanish/Catalan music by compatriot Mª del Mar Bonet won him the first prize at the International Choreographic Workshop (Internationaler Choreographischer Wettbewerb) at Cologne.

Without reducing his responsabilities as a dancer Duato has created more than a dozen works for the two companies of Nederlands Dans Theater: Danza y Rito (Chávez), Uccelli (Respighi), Synaphai (Xenakis/Vangelis), Bolero (Ravel), Arenal (Bonet), Chansons Madecasses (Ravel), Raptus (to Richard Wagner's Wesendonk Lieder), Dreams of Ether (Landowsky), Lament (Gorecki), etc. For almost every work painter/designer Walter Nobbe proved a constantly inspiring and reliable collaborator.

In 1988 Nacho Duato was named Resident Choreographer for Nederlands Dans Theater next to Hans van Manen and Jirí Kylián.

With the growing demand of international companies requesting a work of his for their repertoire Duato had to take a decisive step towards choosing his future career. His ballets form part of the repertoire of companies like Paris Opera, Cullberg Ballet, Nederlands Dans Theater, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Deutche Opera Ballet, Australian Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Ballet Gulbenkian, Finish Opera Ballet, The Royal Ballet, The Singapore Ballet, Tulsa Ballet Theatre, Pacific Northwest Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, The Washington Ballet, Hubbard St. Dance Chicago, North Carolina Dance Thatre, The Boston Ballet, The Gothemburg Ballet, The Royal Swedish Ballet, The Royal Danish Ballet, The Northen Ballet, Ballet du Capitole, Ballet du Rhin, Teatro Comunale Florence, National Ballet of Portugal,The Norweigian Ballet, National Theatre Tokio, The Universal Ballet, Stars Foundation Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Tulsa Ballet Theatre, Staats Theater Berlin, etc.

Since June 1990, invited by the Instituto Nacional de las Artes Escénicas y de la Música of the Spanish Ministry of Culture, Nacho Duato is Artistic Director of Compañía Nacional de Danza, where he created the following works: Concierto Madrigal (J.Rodrigo), Kaburias ( L. Brouwer), Opus Piat (L.V.Beethoven), Duende ( Debussy), Empty (Collage), Cor Perdut ( M de M Bonet)Coming Together (F.Rzewski), Na Floresta ( H. Villalobos), Mediterrania (Collage), Cautiva (A. Iglesias) , Alone, for a second (E. Satie), Tabulae (A. Iglesias), Rassemblement ( Toto Bissainthe)Ecos (S. Micus), Cero sobre Cero (A. Iglesias), Por Vos Muero, Ofrenda de sombras (s. XVI), Arcangelo (Corelli), Self ( A.Iglesias), Castrati (K. Jenkins), L´Homme ( Kurtag), Seventeen ( P. Alcalde/S. Caballero), Herrumbre ( P. Alcalde/S. Caballero), White Darkness ( K. Jenkins), Txalaparta ( K. Junkera), Hevel ( P.Alcalde/S.Caballero), O Domina Nostra ( H.Gorecki), Cobalto ( P. Alcalde/S. Caballero) etc.

In October 1997 he created Remanso with music by Enrique Granados and in 2000 Without Words ( Schubert) at the American Ballet Theatre. In January 1998 he created his first full length ballet, Romeo and Juliet on Prokofiev music, in 2000 Multiplicity, forms of void and silence and in 2006 Alas based on the texts of Wim Wenders for his film Himmel Über Berlin.

In 1995 he received the grade of Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres which is annually given by the French Embassy in Spain.

In 1998 the Spanish Government rewarded him the Golden Medal for the Merit in the Fine Arts.

At the Stuttgart Opera he was offered the Benois de la Danse, one of the most prestigious international awards for choreography, presented by the International Dace Association for his Ballet” Multiplicity, Forms of Silence and Emptiness”, in April, 2000.