‘Cabanayl Intim’ is an urban festival of performing arts organised by Francachela Teatro. The festival has become an annual event since 2011 and offers a tour of the old fisherman’s neighbourhood in Valencia with stages in different parts of the area, including private domestic residences of the locals. For two consecutive weekends, the terraces, living rooms, and kitchens of the people of Cabanayl are transformed into stages for contemporary theatrical shows. Due to this commitment to intimacy, the audience for a show can vary from four to twenty people.
Today, we will present to you one of the line-ups for the festival, the flamenco dancer, singer, composer, artist and writer Pilar Andujar. Pilar is from a small Spanish town of Almoradi where she discovered her love for the form of dance and then moved to Madrid at the age of 18 to expand her horizons to acting, singing, and choreography. By being a part of the dance company Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana, Pilar got the chance to live in the US where she got to focus on her signing as the only flamenco singer within the company in Austin, Texas.
We asked Pilar about how she thinks she benefited from travelling and spending time abroad. To which she answered “Travelling gives you another vision of the world, it opens your mind and of course, you learn about other cultures that influence your style. My second album is very modern and you can find sounds inspired by my experience in the USA”.
Pilar also spoke about her recent projects, such as her new book ‘El Salto’ and the album of the same title. The title translates to ‘The Jump’ which is the title of her upcoming show which is a musical where music, dance, and theatre come together. It features songs written by the dancer herself as well as some Spanish songs people will instantly recognise. All of this while playing the castanets. The finale of the show also features a more contemporary flamenco routine to the sound of an electric guitar.
Finally, I asked Pilar for any advice she has for aspiring artists.
“First of all, they would need a lot of passion and energy to work very hard. Second, I would totally recommend learning at least 2 disciplines to have more options for work and 3rd to learn psychologically how to live in uncertainty. To dance, you need to be physically like a professional athlete. To choreograph, you need creativity, and you have to do an intellectual investigation of the subject. As you move and investigate and explore, more things will come to you. Everything that happens in my personal life favours my professional life, my expression and maturity, and my new ideas as a choreographer.”
You can see Pilar in her upcoming show THE JUMP
April 16th in The Claustro of CCCC in Valencia https://www.consorcimuseus.gva.es/centro-del-carmen/?lang=es
May 5th at TEM for Cabanayl Intim in Valencia https://www.teatreelmusical.es/
Report by Nicole Maka-Sprawa
Article copyright o‘24/7 Valencia’
More info: https://www.facebook.com/pilar.andujar.3
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