DANCE IN SPAIN: CONSTANTS AND VARIABLES OF AN ART IN THE MAKING

The María Pagés Choreographic Center of Fuenlabrada assumes dance in Spain as a creation of creators and a profession of professions. One of its fundamental missions is to dignify it. This task arises from the objective fact that our society does not know those who form it and often denies its uniqueness. Old social legacies sequester dance in various stereotypes. In part, it exalts the performer for what he/she does on stage and, on the other hand, it silences its creative, investigative, creative, social and entrepreneurial leadership work.

This lack of recognition of Dance, which constitutes one of the most visible Spanish cultural expressions and industries at national and international level and feeds a wide universal Hispanophilia, is not translated in the sensitivity of society, nor in the interest of the media and, above all, it is very little present in the action and strategies of the institutions of the State. It is very probable that there exists a deaf collective apathy with respect to the Dance. This phenomenon can redound negatively in its programming in the theaters of our country and reveal a possible inflation of sympathy of the promoters, programmers and directors of theaters and festivals towards it.

To the lack of a programming consistent with its creative and industrial legitimacy, we must add the sad reality that, despite the fact that, in Spain, we have a great dance heritage and we have a territorial organization that allows it, except for the Mercat de les Flors, there are no dance theaters, such as a Sadler’s Wells or a Maison de la Dance de Lyon, among others. On the other hand, experience shows us that in the vision of our parties and institutions there is neither tendency nor ideas that focus on the promotion of Dance, through projects aimed at the prosperity and dignity of Dance, as an art and profession. And, to tell the truth, it is not an impossible task. There are successful models all around us. All that is needed is some vision and political will to devise choreographic centers at local and regional level, as is the case of the María Pagés Choreographic Center in Fuenlabrada.

Implementing this strategy for the benefit of dance would have revolutionary effects in the medium and long term. It would facilitate the territorial fixation of creators, allowing an optimal development of choreographic creation, the promotion of companies that would nurture the cultural identity of the territories, the promotion of training, the encouragement of the mobility of artists and the legal systematization of the profession and professionals. And, above all, it would generate a fair system of aid distribution where local, regional, national and, why not, private aid could converge.

Spain, integrating all the institutions of the State, local, autonomous and national, that by their political or territorial nature are involved in the promotion of the material and immaterial values of the idea of the country we want to be, is called to design an organic project that organizes its Dance, paradigm of its contemporaneity and sap of its future heritage.

EL ARBI EL HARTI, 

CCMP Director