Retour en Avant / Past Forward Biennale de la Danse Lyon - France

Rafaela CarrascoBorn in Sevilla in 1972,Rafaela Carrasco was introducedto flamenco from theage of six at the Matilde Coralacademy, then with leadingmasters such as La Tona, ManoloMarin, Manolete, El Güito and RafaelEl Negro; in parallel, she exploredthe worlds of classical and contemporarydance.She joined Mario Maya’s company and soonbecame one of the finest dancers in the newcreative wave of flamenco. She took part inmany shows with the Cumbre Flamenca company,Rafael Amargo and Ricardo Franco. In 2001,she danced in the “Flamenco viene del Sur”gala series at the Teatro Central of Sevilla; tookpart in the 2002 Jerez Festival alongside ManuelReyes, and in the Sevilla Bienial in Orestes,Lisboa; and in 2004, linked up again with MarioMaya at the Jerez Festival for Un, dos, tres,faaa… In parallel, she has continued to developher “own expression” as a soloist, dancing withBélen Maya, Israel Galvan and Rafael Campallo.In 2002, she founded her own company andwon best-dancer and best-music awards atthe Madrid flamenco competition for her firstchoreographic work La Música del cuerpo. Hercompany has since taken part in the leadinginternational festivals. Since 1996, Carrasco hastaught at the famous Amor de Dios flamencoschool in Madrid and at the Granada flamencocentre for performing arts, and also at the JerezFestival. She is an excellent educator who alsoleads many courses in Spain and elsewhere.Del amor y ostras cosas / 2007creationSo, let’s tell the tale of two lovers, just after theymeet... They live for each other, in the intensityof the moment, in the here and now. Let’s tellof this chance encounter, which one day provesirreversible. No disagreement is possible – as ifthe story were a certainty! There is no way back,because the markers that had been scatteredhave now gone. It is a path which, from day today, passes through every state of the heart…up until the day, perhaps the last, when I willforget to love you. The thought has often beenaddressed, but did not arise by accident. Theworld’s literature has always kept alive its repertoireof “love potions”, as have theatre, film andevery other artistic discipline – including dance.The fragility of human bonds – “liquid love” asZigmunt Barman defines it – is today as topicaland vibrant a subject as it was hundreds of yearsago.Rafaela CarrascoExtra info:French première71