R&D Seville-Madrid-Bilbao

Working with contemporary-flamenco artist, Juan Carlos Lerida was the highlight post festival mania. In Seville and Bilbao I prepared for FORGE with research and daily class with Manuel Betanzos. Two development sessions with Juan were instrumental in conceiving the work further. He worked through many of the concepts already in place, the dramaturgy and my intentions choreographically. It was liberating in contrast to heavy suffering of traditional flamenco. I found the Judeo Museo in Seville where the walls of the ghetto have been obscured, in Madrid Picasso’ ‘Guernica’ was the central focus for FORGE and Bilbao and San Sebastian were totally gorgeous and inspired, heavy with civil war history.

Bilbao Guggenheim has an amazing permanent steel installation by Richard Serra and its temporary collection of ‘Shadows’ by Warhol’s – 102 screen prints of the one image in negative-positives and multiple colours was fodder for set and lighting design.