FLASH #36 – HORIZON, A CHOREOGRAPHIC JOURNEY

Altea Nuñez, associate artistic director, resident ballet master and choreographic director of Junior Ballet Antwerp, is about to premiere a long-awaited new work. As an intelligent and unconventional choreographer, her confidence in her own abilities has grown with every success over the years. Her recent creation, HORIZON, is the result of a stylistic evolution.

A conversation with Judith Delmé.

A.N.: “It is without doubt that my connection with Gloria Montesinos laid to the foundation for this new work. Gloria is very well-known in Spain for her brilliant theatrical lighting and stage effects and she has been associated with JBA since 2024, to the enhancement of many of our productions.

Her amazing insight into light design literally opened my eyes to its importance and to the possibilities it offers. That initial spark developed in strength in different ways. There was a quote by Belgian artist James Ensor on the importance of light to life, as well as a recent evocative exhibition by Hans Op de Beeck at KMSKA on the powerful effect that shadows and light can have.
This ‘play of light’ which I wished for, demanded a perfect surface. What came to mind was the desert, which I am now using as the setting for HORIZON. An empty void, it is continuously influenced by the four elements: Earth, Fire, Wind and Water, which in turn reflect incredible changes in colors; the blues, the golds and the sand tones.”

“The final piece in the puzzle was the music, which I chose and really love! Hans Zimmer’s soundscape to the film DUNE produces images of desert tribes, their colors, their rituals and their beliefs. It inspired me to imagine a person, an individual who became the linking thread throughout the piece and who embarks on a seemingly never-ending journey through a vast mysterious landscape. Along the way, this helps him to discover himself.”

“Only by taking the journey, you get to know yourself”.

J.D.: People have remarked that you yourself appear to have a deep connection to the earth and to the mystical sense of nature… Does this have a part to play in your new creation?

A.N.: “For sure! And it has emerged in the figure of Mother Earth, of the ‘Fata Morgana’ visions and in the sense of an invisible heart beating in the depths of our planet.”

J.D.: How did HORIZON come to life in the studio?

A.N.: “Starting with the desert as a setting, it provided me with so much to play with: the ripples and the waves in the sand – the images of water, of women bringing water – a life-giving force. There is the ebb and low of the wind, of the sand being blown and the fluidity (FLOW) in all of this. Those images transformed into movement, into choreography with the music, as always, my constant inspiration.

My chosen soundtrack has a very sensual feel to it and at the same time it provokes mystery. There is a strong build-up to the percussive section which itself elaborates into a dance, passionate and fiery before gradually sinking into a trance-like state. I found a different way of moving in each of these sections, finally bringing everything together as a whole.”

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” (quote by ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu)

J.D.: How did the dancers fit into this, did they have any input or did it come entirely from you?

A.N.: “We have a very creative group of artists at the moment who worked with me to generate the images I was looking for. Many amongst them have strong, artistic personalities which meant that using their talents to build up a narrative came quite naturally.”

J.D.: New for you is to be creating organic forms with large groups of dancers. Do you find your own ‘choreographic journey’ is on the move as well?

A.N.: “It is most definitely changing! I feel much more confident now. I don’t go into the studio with each step and every formation worked out in advance. I enjoy developing wíth the dancers as I have discovered that the result is more natural and free. I improvise more and allow myself take chances.

Creating shapes and forms with groups of people is new to me, yes. I have always preferred to work with individuals rather than big groups because the one-on-one interaction felt in a way more profound. But a large-scale group of people moving simultaneously or in canon can look very impressive!”

“My choreographic process has indeed developed over the years, and I am confident that it will continue to evolve in the future!”