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| Ana Laguna | |
|---|---|
| Name | Ana Laguna |
| Birth date | 15 May 1954 |
| Birth place | Zaragoza, Spain |
| Occupation | Ballet dancer, choreographer, teacher |
| Years active | 1970s–present |
Ana Laguna is a Spanish-born modern dancer, choreographer, and pedagogue noted for her collaborations with Swedish choreographer Mats Ek and for pioneering reinterpretations of classical ballets in contemporary contexts. She has had a long association with the Royal Swedish Ballet, the Cullberg Ballet, and international companies, contributing to works that intersect with the repertoires of Pina Bausch, Maurice Béjart, and William Forsythe. Laguna's career spans performance, teaching, artistic direction, and advocacy within European performing arts networks such as the European Union cultural initiatives and national institutions like the Royal Swedish Opera.
Born in Zaragoza, Spain, Laguna received early exposure to performing arts in the milieu of Aragon and studied initial dance forms in Spanish conservatories influenced by teachers from Madrid and Barcelona. She later pursued advanced training that connected her to institutions associated with École de Danse de Paris influences and itinerant pedagogues from the Royal Academy of Dance. Her formative education placed her in contact with techniques derived from the traditions of Vaganova method, Dalcroze Eurhythmics, and modernist practices propagated by companies such as Martha Graham Dance Company and Merce Cunningham Dance Company.
Laguna's early professional steps involved engagements with studios and companies in Spain and France, where she encountered repertory by figures like Roland Petit and John Cranko. She joined ensembles that toured festivals such as the Avignon Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, collaborating with directors connected to the Comédie-Française and choreographers associated with Tanztheater Wuppertal. These experiences led to invitations from Nordic institutions, culminating in work with the Mariinsky Theatre–influenced pedagogy circulated across Europe and exchange programs tied to the UNESCO performing arts networks.
Laguna is principally known for her long-standing artistic partnership with Swedish choreographer Mats Ek, creating landmark interpretations of ballets and new works for the Cullberg Ballet and the Royal Swedish Ballet. Together they developed reinterpretations that dialogued with scores by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Béla Bartók, and Sergei Prokofiev, reframing narratives previously staged by companies including the Paris Opera Ballet and the Kirov Ballet. Their collaborations featured dramaturgical input from directors linked to the Stockholm City Theatre and production teams from the Royal Dramatic Theatre (Dramaten), and toured venues such as the Teatro Real and the Sadler's Wells Theatre.
Laguna's repertoire includes seminal roles in Ek's versions of canonical works that reference choreographies by Marius Petipa, Michel Fokine, and August Bournonville. She is credited with performances in reinterpretations of titles like "Giselle" and "Swan Lake" that engaged with musical scores by Hector Berlioz and arrangements referencing Igor Stravinsky. Laguna also premiered new pieces by contemporary creators associated with ensembles such as the National Ballet of Canada, Berlin State Ballet, and the Royal Danish Ballet, reflecting a cross-pollination with choreographers from the Nederlandse Dans Theater and institutions like the Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden.
As a guest artist Laguna appeared at major houses and festivals: the Vienna State Opera, the La Scala Theatre Ballet, the Teatro Colón, and the Munich Biennale-linked dance programs, and on contemporary stages such as Holland Festival and the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival. She collaborated with conductors and directors from the New York City Ballet milieu, worked with orchestras like the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestre de Paris, and engaged in cultural exchange through organizations such as the Council of Europe and bilateral programs with the Spanish Ministry of Culture.
Beyond performing, Laguna has taught masterclasses at conservatories including the Royal Swedish Ballet School, the Codarts Rotterdam, and institutions affiliated with the Bolshoi Ballet Academy model. She has served on juries for competitions like the Prix Benois de la Danse and contributed choreography and dramaturgy to companies including the Scottish Ballet and the Australian Ballet. Laguna held leadership roles connected to cultural bodies such as the European Cultural Foundation and participated in research projects in collaboration with universities like Stockholm University and arts faculties at the University of Barcelona.
Laguna's distinctions include national and international prizes awarded by institutions such as the Swedish Royal Court, the Spanish Order of Civil Merit, and recognition from arts councils including the Norrköping Municipal Council and the Ibero-American Cultural Centre. Her honours reflect peer recognition from organizations like the International Theatre Institute and festival awards from the Cannes Festival-adjacent performing arts juries.
Category:Spanish female dancers Category:Contemporary dancers Category:Choreographers