Introducing Eduardo Guerrero

On Thursday, October 11, 2018, the Gordon presents FLAMENCO PASIÓN, a dance performance by Compañia Flamenca Eduardo Guerrero.

Direct from Cadiz, Spain, this group of elite artists, including critically acclaimed flamenco dancer and choreographer Eduardo Guerrero himself, will captivate you with the full range emotions this temperamental and passionate Spanish dance conveys. 

Gordon artistic director Alyson Bonavoglia recently caught up with Eduardo on tour:

AB: Your choreography has been referred to as “modern and courageous,” and it has been written that you have “no limits … because [you do] not seem to need them. [You] dance the impossible.” It has also been written that you are “one of the most complete dancers of the moment.” This is amazing praise!

EG: I’m not a fan of that word, ‘modern.” I see myself as a contemporary artist who breaks rules; I do not try to change anything with my dance, only convey who I am. Limits only categorize you and won’t let you progress. They don’t exist to me. With regards to the definition of myself as one of the most complete dancers, I can only say ‘thank you.’ It’s a great compliment.

AB: You are from Cadiz, Spain.  Is this where you are originally from?  Where were you born and raised, and where do you currently reside?

EG: Yes, I come from Cadiz, I was born in that beautiful land full of light and salt. I spent my childhood and teenage years in a fishermen quarter until my job took me to so many places I feel like a citizen of the world albeit being based in Cádiz. I always feel I need to go back to my roots.

AB: When and why did you decide to become a dancer?

EG: If I said it was by mere chance people wouldn’t believe it but that’s what happened. At six years of age I started attending a dance academy where my mum used to take my cousin. I was the youngest of three children and she took me everywhere. At some point, out of curiosity and my restlessness, one day I decided to enter and try. What started as a kid’s game became my passion, my profession and my life.

AB: What motivated you to specialize in the Flamenco art form?

EG: My need for self-improvement and my family’s support, among them my grandmother Dolores, that’s been my driver in my art.

AB: Do you like to dance outside of the realm of Flamenco dancing? 

EG: I enjoy all kinds of dances, learning new techniques, movements, expressions that enhance my dancing. I believe all dances have a common origin. My dancing is passion and every music that moves me makes me dance.

AB: The “Flamenco Pasion” is specifically designed for North American audiences.  What can Gordon patrons expect from your upcoming performance in Baltimore?

EG: This show is designed for all kinds of audiences, for those who know flamenco and those who experience it for the first time. It’s a very colorful show, wonderful choreography, very meticulously staged and great dancers with live music especially composed for this tour, prepared with subtleness and attentiveness, full of hints about my hometown where art can be found everywhere.

AB: How does the music integrate with/influence the dance in your performance?  How do they influence each other?

EG: It works reciprocally. Music makes me fly, removes my inhibitions. When I’m on stage only the sound of voice and guitar exist.

AB: Your eclectic style combines classical and contemporary Spanish dance, ballet, and contortion.  Where do you draw your inspiration from, and how do you motivate your dancers and musicians to best express the passion and skill exhibited in the styles of the Flamenco art form? 

EG: I studied all the disciplines at the dance school and then I worked on them in different companies, with Aida Gómez, Eva Yerbabuena, Rocío Molina, Antonio Canales… and many others. These masters taught me to love this profession even more. I try to instill my company with the idea that art is a long-distance race, where you don’t need to be the first at the finish line to achieve success. It’s all about sacrifice, preparation, perseverance and continuous study. Lots of dedication and practice are needed to finally get the best reward: the audience’s ovation. That is the most satisfying thing for an artist.