IF, as they say, 50 is the new 30, there may be few better examples of that than Nacho Duato, who reached the half-century mark in January. This aristocratically handsome, internationally in-demand dancer-choreographer has the drive, energy and stamina of a racehorse along with a schedule rivaling Barack Obama's.
To begin with, Duato is artistic director of the Madrid-based Compania Nacional de Danza, one of Spain's two national dance ensembles. In the most recent work he has choreographed for the company, based on Wim Wenders' 1987 film "Wings of Desire," he is onstage for the entire 70 minutes, both dancing and reciting a series of monologues.
Duato also choreographs for dance companies around the world, including such prestigious institutions as American Ballet Theatre, Stuttgart Ballet and Paris Opera Ballet. And, not least, he is a mentor to up-and-coming dancers as co-director of Compania Nacional de Danza 2. Founded eight years ago, it was designed to season fledgling performers and allow them to appear in works no longer in the main troupe's repertory. Now, as part of an extensive U.S. tour (that also includes UC Santa Barbara on Tuesday), it's scheduled to make its Los Angeles Music Center debut beginning Friday with three performances at the Ahmanson Theatre.
Though the 14 dancers, ranging in age from 17 to 21, may be much younger than most of those in the 32-member CND, Duato, speaking by telephone from the Spanish capital, says they have attributes their older colleagues don't. "What these dancers lack about maturity or in being more professional, they gain in spontaneity and freshness," he says. "They're open, like sponges, and they work very, very hard.
"While the first company could be my sons," he adds with a laugh, "the second could be my grandsons. They are brilliant, and I love how they come out of the oven, like puppies, and in a few months their whole behavior and appearance changes."
Duato, whose work as a choreographer is noted for its extreme technical demands, also attributes some of his vitality to CND2, saying its work keeps him in touch with his own youth. "It's wonderful to see, and makes me remember why I started dancing."
The group's co-director, 43-year-old Tony Fabre, echoes those sentiments. Fabre, who danced with CND from 1991 to 1997 -- at which point he began working as Duato's assistant before becoming the hands-on guy at the junior company -- defines his role as being a coach to nascent artists, who stay with the troupe for two or three years before joining the older company or moving on.
