Dunas

"From the very beginning, my encounters with Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui have been the outcome of an harmonic and rhythmic destiny... Larbi will guide me to recognising myself not only in my artistic soul, but also in my personal one. I shall take Larbi's hand and bring him to a re-encounter with his essence and his true roots - these and the other elements that make-up his fabulous world," says María Pagés (winner of Spain's 2002 National Dance Award) of her work with the Belgian choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui (Outstanding Choreographer of the Year 2008, awarded by European dance journal Ballet Tanz) during the creation of Dunas.

In this production (which has its world premiere in October this year at the Da:ns Festival of Singapore) these two stars of the dance world unite flamenco and contemporary styles in a choreography which is born of mutual respect and admiration.

The roots of both dancers are reflected in the original music (by Szymon Brzoska and Rubén Lebaniegos) which contains echoes of flamenco, classical and Arabic influences. The result of this mix makes Dunas a truly innovative work, as Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui explains: "Knowing María has been like knowing a current of passionate, positive energy. She's extraordinarily open and able to see the quality of movements uniquely, far from the conventionalities of contemporary choreography. I love the way she moves around, the way she commits herself entirely with all of her emotional expression: she devotes herself in body and soul up on stage, with might and dedication never before seen, she makes it entirely her own. Her style redefined my way of perceiving movement and sharing the stage with her has been an honour and a great learning experience for me".

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