According to the newspaper El País and other Spanish media outlets, Joaquín de Luz’s term as the Artistic Director of the Spanish National Dance Company (Compañía Nacional de Danza – CND) is coming to an end.
His current five-year contract with INAEM – El Instituto Nacional de las Artes Escénicas y de la Música (The International Institute of Performing Arts and Music) – finishes in August 2024 at which time a new leader will have already been chosen to take over beginning September 1.
The new director of the Spanish National Dance Company will be evaluated and selected in a process by the country’s Artistic Council of Dance that adheres to the principals of “equality, merit, and ability”.
The reason for this change has been cited by INAEM; to coincide with the appointment of Paz Santa Cecilia Aristu as the organization’s new director in January of this year, there is need in the dance company for “a new perspective that corresponds to this new stage”.
Joaquín De Luz at Compañía Nacional de Danza
De Luz joined CND in September 2019 soon after his retirement from the New York City Ballet stage. He was chosen to lead the Madrid-based company from amongst thirteen final candidates and was quoted at the time for saying, “I want to build the company that would have made me stay in Spain”.
Since being at the helm, he has most notably created a new version of Giselle inspired by the verse of Gustavo Adolfo which has toured extensively throughout the country, as well as accomplished his goal of bringing CND abroad, most recently on a tour in the United States.
Featured Photo of Compañía Nacional de España‘s Artistic Director Joaquín De Luz by Alba Muriel.