Najarro: "I will stay the way I am"

Antonio Najarro, 35, is not the kind of person who raises his voice at rehearsals. Instead, the dancers in his company listen obediently ? or they will until September, when Najarro leaves to take over the artistic direction of Ballet Nacional de España (BNE), the state-run dance company previously led by José Antonio Ruiz. In fact, his performance last Thursday night at the Veranos de la Villa festival marked his farewell as a dancer ahead of starting to work full-time as a director.

Question. The fact you're saying farewell with Jazzing Flamenco... is that because you were caught off guard by the BNE appointment?

Answer. No, it's because it's the show that best defines me. I'm very satisfied with the other shows ? the last one was Suite Sevilla, a much more traditional project ? but with Jazzing Flamenco, because I wanted to set it inside a nightclub, I was able to add a nuance of elegance and exquisiteness to my choreography.

Q. You're said to be straightforward and calm. Are you afraid you'll lose all that when you join the BNE?

A. A lot of people ask me this question, and it's a known fact that people who walk into the director's office at the BNE change completely. You never know, I think that running the BNE is a great responsibility, but so was creating my own company nine years ago with 28 dancers. I know I am going to be our country's ambassador for dance, so on that level I will definitely feel more responsibility, but I will stay the way I am.

Q. After Nacho Duato's controversial exit from the Compañía Nacional de Danza, is there also any controversy over the transition at the BNE?

A. My case is very different from that of the Compañía Nacional de Danza, mainly because José Antonio Ruiz [the outgoing director] was my mentor for many years. He gave me my first opportunities as a solo dancer, and I always respected him a lot. I am completely familiar with his work at the BNE; I will not judge him or say whether I agree with his work or not. But this change is not going to be traumatic: José Antonio has led me by the hand, he has introduced the entire company to me... My job is to breathe fresh air into the Ballet Nacional de España.

Q. What's going to happen to your company?

A. I have to break it up. Our last show is on August 10. First of all, they would be incompatible: I can't run an auteur company and the BNE at the same time. Second of all, when I start a project of this scope I need to be on it 100 percent, because that's the only way that the project can define you as an artist. If there's a mistake, it's the director's fault, and if there's a success, it's also the director's success.

Q. Why are you quitting dancing?

A. I've been at the BNE for six years and experienced three changes in leadership. I have to give something to the Ballet Nacional, and that requires being there 100 percent. If I want to keep dancing, I can't make all the changes I want to make at the BNE. Since I've been selected by an expert committee, I need to be 100 percent committed to the job of directing.

Q. Will there be a fixed season in Madrid?

A. Yes, twice a year at the Teatro de la Zarzuela. In March 2012 it's all going to be new creations by younger generations. The second season, in the fall, will be a revival of old repertoires, with very consolidated artists. I want to attract a younger audience.

Q. Is fusion necessary to revive Spanish dance?

A. It's worked really well for me, because there is a generation gap in Spanish dance. The only thing I've tried to do is get people's attention. I can make traditional creations, but I know the theater's going to be empty.