THE FAMOUS SPANISH DANCER LUCÍA LACARRA WILL BE THE NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE VÍCTOR ULLATE BALLET- COMUNIDAD DE MADRID

Lucía Lacarra takes the head of the Víctor Ullate Ballet – Comunidad de Madrid’s Artistic Direction since next season 2018/ 2019 Lucía Lacarra, one of the most important dancers internationally, will take the head of the Víctor Ullate Ballet – Comunidad de Madrid’s Artistic Direction since the next season, which will start on September 2018. Lacarra is receiving the baton of the Company Artistic Direction from Eduardo Lao, who contributes with his strong background as a dancer and a vast international experience. The Basque dancer studied and started her professional career in the Víctor Ullate School and Ballet, was one of the most outstanding figures of the quarry of dancers formed by the Master Ullate. She has been Principal Dancer at the National Ballet of Marseille Roland Petit from 1994 to 1997, Principal Dancer of the San Francisco Ballet from 1997 to 2002 and Principal Dancer of the Bayerisches Munich Staatsballet from 2002 to 2016. Since the season 2016/2017 she is permanent Guest Dancer of the Dortmund Ballet, Russell Maliphant Ballet and the Víctor Ullate Ballet. In her remarkable artistic career highlights awards such as the Nijinsky Prize to the best dancer in 2002, the Prix Benois de la Danse in 2003, the National Dance Prize in 2005, the Dance Open Grand Prix of Saint Petersburg in 2010 and in 2013. In the Dancer’s own words: “For me is a great honor to take over such an important position as the artistic direction of the Víctor Ullate Ballet, this has been always my home, where I was born and raised as a professional dancer, and I have always had close links with. It has been long time since I moved to look for a personal development as an artist and follow the path that my heart told me. In all those years I have worked for other companies and danced all over the world, now I believe it is time to collect everything that I have learnt and discovered and use it to boost a new generation of talented dancers, and also to drive the Víctor Ullate Ballet’s name to the whole world. I will keep dancing with the Comany and I will put as much passion and effort as I have done in my own career in order to take this wonderful Ballet to a new dimension, respecting and caring for the soul, essence and repertoire of Víctor Ullate, and at the same time opening the horizons to new styles and experiences for the dancers. It will be a hard and exciting work for which I feel prepared and with great enthusiasm.” Master Ullate tells: “One of the most difficult challenges that I have had to face in my career has been running a company. To combine the tasks of teacher, choreographer and director is really complicated, so for me it was a great help when Eduardo Lao assumed the artistic direction of the Company and I will always be grateful for these 20 years of wonderful work in which he has put all his love and enthusiasm. Now, a new stage begins, which does not close the previous one, but continues it. It is a great honor that Lucía Lacarra has accepted the charge of the Company’s artistic direction, for me is like a daughter, I love her and admire professional and personally, one of the greatest dancers from this time, with exceptional physical abilities and interpretation that, in addition, has always maintained a close link with the Company. It is a privilege for Spain, for the Company and for me that Lucía has accepted the challenge of directing the ballet, it will not be easy but we believe it is worth it that the Company, which is already history of our country, lasts. It could not be in better hands.” Eduardo Lao, its current Artistic Director: “When I assumed the leadership of the Company 17 years ago, my greatest challenge was to keep alive the artistic legacy of who has been the great master of the Dance of our era. A choreographic legacy characterized by an accurate, sensitive and passionate performance that only interpreted with love, passion and respect for work ends up being art. These are the characteristics that Lucía has to be the perfect candidate that receives the witness of this legacy. Satisfied of my work as a director, I feel excited that a great artist like Lucía continues the work that I have carried out during all these years as director, seeking to nurture and give continuity to the artistic development of the Company. I am sure that she will bring all the love and experience accumulated in her career to give a new forward momentum to what will always be our Company.” Master Ullate has always been a dance referenc, first as a dancer and then as a master and choreographer. His Company, with a wide and well-known repertoire of its own, it has become a quarry of leading figures, from Tamara Rojo, through Joaquín de Luz, Eduardo Lao or Igor Yebra, to Lucía Lacarra herself. The Ballet continues to have top-notch figures in its cast, including Marlen Fuerte and Josué Ullate, principal dancers of the Company, Cristian Oliveri and Dorian Acosta, and has always had the support of the Community of Madrid. The Víctor Ullate Company, that this year celebrates its 30th Anniversary, inaugurating a new stage in its history. After three decades, the Ballet incorporates to its artistic direction one of the most outstanding figures of the current Dance. The teacher Ullate will continue as president of the Víctor Ullate Foundation, focused on the social work that this takes place, and in the House of Dance. Lucía Lacarra will assume the artistic direction of Víctor Ullate Ballet – Community of Madrid, which has its headquarters in Teatros del Canal, in the next season 2018/2019, which starts in September of this year.