rigo
saura
DANCER - TEACHER - CHOREOGRAPHER
“Donde estas Yolanda” by rising star Rigoberto Saura
Lauren Warnecke - Chicago Tribune
About:
Mr. Saura graduated from the National School of Modern and Contemporary Dance in Havana, Cuba (2008) during which time he participated in Holland’s International Theatre School Festival and was a member of the National School of Dance Faculty(2012). Mr. Saura was a former soloist dancer of Danza Contemporánea of Cuba (2008-2013) and worked with internationally recognized choreographers: Mats Ek and Ana Laguna, Itzik Galili, Juan Kruz (Sasha Walls and Guests) Osnel Delgado ( Mal Pasó Dance Company) Rafael Bonachela ( Sydney Dance Company). He moved to Quito-Ecuador as a Asistente Choreographer under the Pepe Hevia Dance company and was a soloist of the classic cast in the National Ballet of Ecuador and the resident choreographer in Ecuador’s Urban Ballet and Composition Master of the Metropolitan School of Art, Ecuador (2013-2017). Currently Mr. Saura resides in Chicago,Illinois where he is a resident dancer, teacher, and guest choreographer at Hedwig Dances, Concert Dance Inc. ,Ruth Page Civic Ballet , Ruth Page School of Dance and guest artist/instructor for the Professional Program at The Hubbard Street Dance Company. His development as a choreographer has continued to create works for New Dances 2019,Illinois , L.A Contemporary Dance Company, California and Winner at DuPage Choreography Showcase and Competition, Illinois (2019).Mr. Saura is currently engaged in a robust and demanding performance/choreography schedule with local, national, and international companies.
WARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
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Winner of the 5th Annual Dance Showcase and Competition of the College of Dupage, July 2019.
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NewDances Chicago Choreographer Selection: Was selected from Chicago’s Choreographers to create a piece for this annual event: June 2019
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Los Angeles Contemporary Choreography Lab Choreographer Competition Winner, Los Angeles, California: July 2019Submitted previous works and was selected from choreographers from across the United States for a competition to work with some of L.A.’s most talented dancers and choreographers.
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Ravina Festival Performance: “Donde Estas Yolanda” Concert Dance Performance of Piece created by Mr. Fernandez Saura for the 2019 Ravina Festival: June 2019
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Chicago Tribune Dance Review, LAUREN WARNECKE, June 2, 2019: “Donde estas Yolanda by rising star Rigoberto Saura,...his fantastically quirky duet for the pair could stand alone... though the piece’s final Ray Ban-clad trio is a delight to behold.”
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Created contemporary modern solo for presentation at Youth America Grand Prix and various Ruth Page School of Dance performances. (Chicago-2017
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2nd place Award in Sport Dance (Latin style). With the National Sport Dance Federation. Ministry of Sport. (Ecuador-2014)
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Choreography Award at the 9th edition of the National Contest of Choreography and Performance Danzan-Dos. 2010 Matanzas.
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Male Performance Award. 8th edition of the National Contest of Choreography and Performance Danzan-Dos. 2008 Matanzas.
A
performance/gallery
Concert Dance Inc.
"La Guitarra" by Venetia Stifler -Chicago(2018)
Tatuaje - Pinocho - Réquiem - Carmen -Ecuador(2014-2017)
National Contemporary Dance Company of Cuba.
Carmina Burana - Casi - Dejando el Cascaron, Cuba (2008-2013)
Personal Works
Shockingly strenuous and physically risky, but also surprisingly subtle and tender, too. Saura has a good feel for both ends of that spectrum;
Zachary Whittenburg.
THE FLOWERING MECHANISM : an examination of human interactions and routine mechanical behaviors.Through individuals emotional and somatic responses, the dance illuminates how interpersonal reltions evolve in chaotic environments. Performed to a symphonic score, with set and costume design by Saura.
Performed by: Hedwig Dance’s Company.
Music: Alternative Energy by Mason W. Bates performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Riccardo Muti, Conductor.
Video Design: Alexander Melo.
Light Design: Sarah Lacker.
The evening is marked by an inventive and difficult association; an attention to the creation of your chosen composer: an orchestral score by Mason W. Bates in "The Flowering Mechanisms" by Lauren Warnecke. 2019
CROSSING:
Premiere.
Performed by Olivia Gonzalez and Rigoberto Saura.
Music: Crash Ensemble, Tomas Gutierrez Alea.
Light Design: Elias Morales.
Winner of the 5th Annual Dance Showcase and Competition of the College of Dupage, July 2019.
ANOTHER SIDE of DREAM : let's think for a moment how dreams can change our lives and how much we can learn from them.
Performed by: Quincie Bean, Erim Quigley, Raquel Mar, Tori Rumzis, Simone Stevens.
Music: Zunftiger Schuhplattler by Schuhplattler Hitparade, Landfall by Kronos Quartet and Laurie Anderson and Dime Adios by Lecuona Cuban Boys.
Music Editing: Alexander Melo.
Light Design: Jacob Snodgrass
Saura isn’t as much working with a balletic or Western tradition but rather digesting and finding his own path through what I might say is the most influential and paradigmatically“new” approach to choreography for the proscenium stage...... by Zachary Whittenburg. 2019
DONDE ESTAS YOLANDA : explored the good-bye’s we experience in many moments in life. The departure that is intense and full of melancholy but also a sense of serenity that mixes in with a long peaceful walk.
Performed by : Halina Tutaj, Olivia Gonzalez, Jacob Buerger.
Music: La Soledad , Donde Estas Yolanda by Pink Martini.
Light Design: Margaret Nelson.
"Donde estas Yolanda" by the raising star Rigoberto Saura by Lauren Warnecke - Chicago Tribune 2018
My creative work is mainly based on the necessity of transmitting in a visual and physical way the interpretation of diverse topics, from real and personal matters to surrealists’ topics. I like this type of approximation as a creative and unique manner of provoking an emotional and sensitive reaction in the audience. One of my objectives as a choreographer and artist is to bring into my dance works all components that make this event more effective: not only the corporal technique movement but natural gestures, theatrical elements too. The nature of the conflict and the climax are significant elements too.Most of my creative work processes are meticulously planned. I love to emphasize in the little details that can express what I am feeling.
I think that this method enriches the pieces, especially during the creation process. Based on all my personal experiences, from my Cuban’s origins and education as an artist, including other influences from other cultural regions like Central, South America and Europe, The knowledge of the general culture as a system of diverse human experiences always make a positive impact on my work ethic. In addition to the above, there are other aspects that are getting my attention and interest in the development of my choreographies. The power of the word, the sexuality, the transformation of our bodies into other forms of expressions, the ambiguity between generations, the architecture of the space while creating a choreography. All these together with the main intention of provoking in the audience emotional and personal processes of reflection, euphoria, ecstasy, sadness or joy, are the most characterizing aspects of my current creations.
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As a choreographer, I also focus my work on dancers’ body. I love
demanding them exhaustion and maximum effort in their performances.They should explore their limits to the sublimity and vulnerability of their own bodies. Most of the time it refers to my academic formation, however, diverse contemporary dance styles and a wide variety of artistic movements and tendencies (surrealism,abstractionism, fine arts, cinema and different styles of music) areother important part of the inspiration which identify my own style ofwork.Finally, I refuse working with conventionalism. I put at the front the pure art, the modernity and contemporaneity, the real and personal experiences, the dancer as a human being. I love to create new vocabularies and ways of expression. I am as a magician who wants to extract the real and profound expression of my dancers, their mysteries and needs, helping them to express themselves and at thesame time to express myself.