Spain’s national ballet set to return to Israel

This summer, the Ballet Nacional de España will return to Israel with a three-part program. The company has been a staple of elite Spanish culture since its establishment in 1978, striking a perfect balance between preservation and innovation. 

Since 2019, the troupe has been directed by dancer and choreographer Ruben del Olmo. 

“The National Ballet of Spain has always had the same structure and form; those are its building blocks. You could say one cannot touch them or change them. The company has maintained its roots over the years,” said del Olmo in a recent interview with The Jerusalem Post. 

“We find the balance in the respect given to dance. Preserving our history and roots is one of our basic goals. Dance is a discipline that progresses quickly. We don’t specifically look for innovation, we find it through hard work. Dance is a live art with continuity and it is important to work with and study from many teachers, artists and choreographers,” he said. 

Spanish ballerinas take stages across Israel

Del Olmo, 43, was born and raised in Seville. He began dancing at an early age and quickly caught the attention of various esteemed teachers. He began his professional career at 16 as a member of Compania de Javier Baron and a year later was invited to dance in choreographer and dancer Aida Gomez’s company. 

At 18, he joined the National Ballet of Spain, then directed by Gomez. After many seasons as a soloist, del Olmo set off to establish his own troupe, which performed extensively throughout Spain and abroad. 

Throughout his career, del Olmo has consistently directed, choreographed and performed and sees these three facets of his career as inseparable. 

“I manage to do these three things very well. I dance, I manage the company and I make choreographies. Those three things go hand in hand. They have been present since the beginning of my artistic career. I danced, choreographed and directed companies, my own and public companies. All of these elements have always been important to me,” he said. 

For the company’s return to Israel, del Olmo and his team have selected a program titled Invocation Bolera, which showcases the variety in the repertoire. The evening will include two works by del Olmo: “Invocation Bolera” and “Jaulena” as well as “Eterna Iberia” by previous National Ballet director Antonio Najarro and “De lo Flamenco” by Mario Mayo.

“This program is very impressive,” assured del Olmo. 

“It includes the full range of styles in Spanish dance – aside from Spanish folklore. You will be able to enjoy everything, bolero, classical and flamenco with live music.”

The performances will take place at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center. Due to the high demand for tickets, the company has added a sixth performance. 

The National Ballet of Spain will perform at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center on July 12-15. For more information, visit www.israel-opera.co.il.