The Spanish choreographer was a special guest at the Duncan Centre Conservatory in October and November 2024. She created two choreographies with fourth and fifth-year students - Roots and Shift.
Lali Ayguadé is a Catalan performer and choreographer. Early in her career, she became a member of the Akram Khan Company, where she performed and participated in the creation of the productions Kaash, Ma, Bahok, Vertical Road, and Confluence. She has collaborated with many other prominent choreographers, such as Marcos Morau, Hofesh Schechter, Roberto Olivan, and Baró d'Evel. Since 2013, she has been the artistic director of her own company, for which she has created performances such as Kokoro, iU an Mi, Hidden, Runa, and others. Her works blur the boundaries between fantasy and reality and combine theatricality with dance.
Ayguadé was nominated for the Critics Awards of London for Exceptional Dancer in 2010 and for Best Creator in 2014. In 2016, she was also nominated for Best Dancer at the Recomana.cat Critics Awards in Barcelona. She also works as an actress. For example, she starred in the short film TIMECODE, which won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, the Goya Award, the Gaudi Award, and in 2016 was nominated for an Oscar.
This Spanish dancer and choreographer is no stranger to Prague audiences. In the past, she has been a guest at the Tanec Praha and Nultý bod festivals, among others. This year, she led a workshop at HAMU in Prague. Petr Tyc, the director of the Duncan Centre Conservatory, said of Lali Ayguadé's guest appearance: "Lali is a choreographer of European stature. We are very pleased that she accepted our invitation. Choreographers like Ayguadé know how to lead dancers to maximum physical and expressive qualities. When you see 17 young dancers in a work that is not only full of energy but also of a high artistic standard, it is an exceptional experience. Not to mention how much such collaboration benefits our students."
On the occasion of its 30th anniversary in 2022, the Duncan Centre Conservatory launched a tradition of collaboration with exceptional European choreographers. The first artist to create a new work with the students was Simone Sandroni. His invitation was of symbolic significance: together with Lenka Flory, he helped shape the school in the 1990s.
Lali Ayguadé is the second artist to create two choreographies at the school for two age groups.