It hasn’t been an easy journey for Spanish dancer Carlos Pons Guerra who wanted to fulfill his long-cherished dream of becoming a dancer. Even though faced with stiff resistance from his parents who believed that dancing was not meant for boys, Carlos kept at it and today, he is one among the most respected and sought-after performers in Spain.
Artistic director/choreographer of DeNada Dance Theatre, which he floated a few years ago, Carlos travels extensively to perform, teach and share his artistic journey with young dancers. The artiste, who was in the city recently, talks to Nina C George about his love for dance.
What inspired you to become a dancer?
I naturally liked dancing since my childhood. I loved seeing ballet in films, and when
I was a teenager, my grandmother would take me to watch the Leipzig Ballet in Gran Canaria, Spain.
That was the first time I had seen a live ballet performance and I was taken aback by how pure a form of expression it was. That’s when I decided I wanted to become a dancer.
How do you describe your journey so far?
I would say my journey so far has been bumpy and has involved a lot of hard work, persistence and personal strength. But I consider myself extremely fortunate for the opportunities because all the hardwork is now paying off.
How did you overcome the initial hiccups?
The journey began on a tough note because my parents did not want me to become a dancer as they believed it wasn’t the right thing for a boy to do. So I had to fight to convince and win their approval. And since I started later than other boys, my body was an obstacle initially, so I had to work hard to gain the physical facility and understanding needed for being a dancer. Once I finished my training, I had to work very hard to get support and performance opportunities for my work. It involved a lot of unpaid performances, performing in bad spaces for dance, long bus journeys and making a lot of mistakes. The experiences have toughened me up.
Do you experiment a lot?
I have been fortunate to get exposure to different styles and choreographers throughout my training and career. I have trained in ballet and contemporary dance, and studied the repertoire of many choreographers from both styles. I have also had some experience in flamenco and bharathanatyam. In India, I got exposed to Indian styles like kathak, kalaripayattu and Bollywood dance.
How does improvising help?
I believe improvising is a helpful tool because it allows a dancer to internalise his or her message and discover new avenues. Most of my work features improvisation, and we often use improvisation to come up with a new movement or scene. Rather than movement style, I am trying to develop a personal working style.
How do you blend narrative dance and dance theatre?
For me, all dance is narrative — it’s blunt, but I honestly believe that if you have nothing to say, you shouldn’t be on stage.
My work not only has a strong sense of story but also a sense of abstraction which is absurd at times, and images that the audience can clearly recognise and connect with.
If you weren’t a dancer...
I hold a BA (Hons) degree which I completed during my dance training, so I would have become a writer or an academic.
How was your experience in India?
It was an extremely inspiring, enriching and transformative experience. The colours, noises, sights and surprises will be giving me source material for years. The food is also incredible here.
If you had a chance to come back to India, would you do so?
I would come back to explore the Indian traditional forms of dance and theatre, gender representation in these forms and the strong relationship between mythology and theatre.
What do you think about the dance scene in India?
I think India has a very strong traditional dance scene, and a huge, impressive respect for its traditional forms.