NAC Dance is pleased to welcome for the first time at the National Arts Centre, María Muñoz, a prominent figure of the Spanish contemporary dance scene. From April 14 to 16, she will perform her solo entitled Bach, accompanied to Johann Sebastian Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier, interpreted by famed Canadian pianist Glenn Gould.

“I created this solo quite late in my dancing career; I was 40 at the time. I had just the right balance between energy and experience, providing me with a deeper understanding of the music,” says María Muñoz. “I had never choreographed a piece on Bach’s compositions, even though we listened to them a lot during rehearsals. Doing this solo ended up being a deep listening exercise. I had to hear the music not only through my ears, but through my body as well. That was the central point of this work.”

Created in 2004 and performed more than a hundred times, this eloquent and evocative solo is pure movement. Embracing Glenn Gould’s recording of J.S. Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier, she dances on the edge of a fragile trance. Muñoz’s superb presence and singular personality draw us into her concentrated attempts to ’catch’ the music, swirling around in the arms of an invisible partner, or breaking into a sudden syncopated run. Self-effacing, yet emphatically defining the space around her, Muñoz elegantly recreates the joyous formal lightness of the musical notes; her body transformed into one more element in the sublime score.

The solo, awarded the National Dance Prize of Spain in 2009, will be presented April 14, 15 and 16 in the NAC Studio at 8 p.m.

ABOUT BACH

In Bach the discourse is articulated through the body and the music of Bach. An approach to the Well-Tempered Clavier by J.S. Bach, in which María Muñoz combines the dance to some preludes played live with the memory of some fugues danced in silence. The performer’s presence develops within a pure work of movement.

CREATION AND PERFORMANCE: María Muñoz
ARTISTIC CO-DIRECTION: Pep Ramis
MUSIC: Johann Sebastian Bach Well-Tempered Clavier
ASSISTANT TO DIRECTION: Leo Castro
ARTISTIC COLLABORATION: Cristina Cerviá
VIDEO: Núria Font
TECHNICIAN ON TOUR: August Viladomat
PHOTOGRAPHY: Jordi Bover, Ferran Mateo
PROMOTION: Eduard Teixidor

 

ABOUT MAL PELO

In January 1989, María Muñoz and Pep Ramis founded the dance company Mal Pelo. From the start, the group has based its work on a constant search for different languages. This crossover of languages gave rise to ideas rooted in a confluence of great depth, clarity and simplicity. In their early years the group combined many tours (Europe, USA and Latin America) with periods of creativity in various countries. These travels stimulated an exchange of ideas, techniques and working methods with other artists that strengthened the group’s artistic search.

ABOUT MARÍA MUÑOZ

With parents from Chera (Guadalajara) and Panticosa (Aragonese Pyrenees), María Muñoz grew up in Valencia where she studied music and competed in athletics. She also began dancing, and later travelled to Amsterdam and Barcelona to broaden her training. Her first professional experience was with Shusaku & Dormu Dance Theater in Holland, in the piece Era in 1982. Forming the group La Dux with Maria Antònia Oliver in 1985 marked the start of her own career in performance creation. In 1988 she worked with Pep Ramis on the creation of the solo Cuarto trastero, and in 1989 they founded the group Mal Pelo together, of which they have since shared both creation and direction. Within the group, she researches and teaches movement. She also edits and fosters the creation of performance texts. She is currently a choreographer, dancer and co-director of the creation centre L’animal a l’esquena in Celrà, Girona.

TICKETS AND PERFORMANCES

María Muñoz performs at the National Arts Centre Studio on April 14, 15 and 16 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $31 for adults and $17.50 for students (upon presentation of a valid student ID card).

Groups of 10 or more save 15% to 20% off regular ticket prices; to reserve your seats, call 613 947-7000, ext. 634 or e-mail grp@nac-cna.ca.

Tickets are available for purchase:

• In person at the NAC Box Office
• At all Ticketmaster outlets
• By telephone from Ticketmaster, 1-888-991-2787 (ARTS)
• Online through the Ticketmaster link on the NAC’s website (http://www.nac-cna.ca)
• A service charge applies on all purchases made through Ticketmaster