José Navas

Photo: Valerie Simmons

Founder and artistic director of Compagnie Flak, José Navas began his choreographic career in 1991 and was quickly recognized on the international scene as a talented and charismatic soloist.

His first group creations were characterized by their assertive sensuality, bold statements and unexpected universes. These pieces included an element of theatricality that is reflected today only in his solo work. Since 2005, Navas has opted for sobriety and the pursuit of pure movement, giving his artistic approach two distinct directions.

Fascinated by the resonance of the body in space and by the calligraphy of formal movement, the choreographer shows himself to be an architect in his group pieces. A worthy successor of Cunningham, he constructs abstract pieces geometrically, which are always delivered by virtuoso performers. His choreographic scores, created in a similar manner to a musical composition, fascinate the viewer with their hypnotic beauty and their meditative character. As a dancer, he has recently devoted himself entirely to his passion for solo work, exploiting the wealth of his maturity to create more personal, sensitive works, with transcendent musicality.

With a beautiful visual aesthetic, creations such as Portable Dances, Anatomies, and S reflect his architectural sense of composition while the solos in Miniatures arouse feelings of a more visceral nature. With more than thirty creations to his credit, Sterile Fields (1996), One Night Only 3/3 (1998), Perfume de Gardenias (2000), Solo with Cello (2001) and Adela, mi amor (2004) represent landmarks on his choreographic journey.

• Read more in José Navas’ Biography.