José Navas

José Navas is a contemporary choreographer and dancer born in Venezuela in 1965, and based in Montreal, Quebec.

José Navas
Born
Domingo Navas Martinez

(1965-01-10)10 January 1965
Caracas, Venezuela
NationalityCanadian
OccupationChoreographer and Dancer
Years activeSince 1991
DancesContemporary Dance
Websitewww.flak.org

Biography

José Navas began his training at the Taller de Danza in Caracas before moving to New York and studying at the Merce Cunningham Studio. There, he collaborated with Stephen Petronio, Michael Clark, Lucinda Childs and various other independent choreographers. In 1991 he moved to Canada and began to choreograph. He founded Compagnie Flak[1] in 1995.

José Navas was first known for his talents as a soloist on the European and North American stages. He quickly established himself as a choreographer proposing bold and unusual works. In 1998, he established his reputation in Canada with One Night Only 3/3,[2] a daring and provocative trio. Crowned "Best young foreign choreographer" by the German magazine Ballet Tanz Aktuell International in 1999,[1] he appeared the following year among the "100 people who move Quebec" in the French magazine L'Express.[1]

José Navas is the recipient of several awards. Among others, he shares a Bessie Award[3] with choreographer William Douglas[4] for the solo While Waiting and won the award for "Best Choreography for the Camera" at the Moving Picture Festival in Toronto for the celebrated art film Lodela,[5] directed by Philippe Baylaucq.

In 2009, he had already created over thirty works for the stage and screen and his company had toured in over 20 countries. Since 2004, he has focused his artistic research on the essence and purity of movement. Abstraction, simplicity, intensity and depth are the words that best describe his current work.

Choreographies
  • 2008: S
  • 2008: Miniatures (solos)
  • 2006: Anatomies
  • 2006: Límpido Amor (solo on pointe for Anik Bissonnette – Montréal)
  • 2006: Calm Abiding (solo for Nova Bhattacharya – Toronto)
  • 2005: Portable Dances
  • 2004: Le Ciel, brûlant des heures (duet for the company Montréal Danse[6] – Montréal )
  • 2001: Solo with Cello (solo originally entitled Haman/Navas Project)
  • 2003: Adela, mi amor[7]
  • 2000: Perfume de Gardenias[8]
  • 1999: Côté cœur, côté jardin (solo[9] for company Danse-Cité – Montréal)
  • 1998: One Night Only 3/3[10]
  • 1998: Abstraction (solo)
  • 1998: Enter: Last (group piece for the company Montréal Danse[6] – Montréal)
  • 1997: Bosquejo (solo for the Springdance Festival[11] – Utrecht)
  • 1997: One Night Only 2/3 (group piece for the company Benoît Lachambre / by b.l.eux)
  • 1997: One Night Only 1/3 (solo for Princess Productions[12] – Toronto)
  • 1996: Sterile Fields (solo[9])
  • 1996: Luna Llena[11]
  • 1996: Deep Down
  • 1994: Postdata (solo[9] solo performed by José Navas, commissioned by Culturgest – Lisbon)
  • 1992: Flak[11]
  • 1992: Celestiales[9]
  • 1991: When We Dreamed the Other Heaven[13]

Performances as a dancer, other than for Compagnie Flak

Cinema and theatre

Notes and references
  1. Compagnie Flak : official website
  2. cf. Picture Gallery Archived 13 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine, One Night Only 3/3, Candance
  3. Michael Crabb, José Navas, biography, The Canadian Encyclopedia, 2009
  4. William Douglas Archived 7 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine, The Canadian Encyclopedia, 2009
  5. Lodela (The movie), National Film Board of Canada
  6. cf. itinerary of the company Montréal Danse
  7. (in French) Dfdanse, Adela, mi amor de José Navas (...) Sous le signe de l’onirisme, Montréal, 2004
  8. Elegant Movement In Hot Surroundings, The New York Times, 7 Jan. 2001
  9. (in French) Isabelle Poulin, La scène où le prince est Navas, Le Devoir, Montréal, 8 June 2002.
  10. DANCE REVIEW; A Piano Score Makes Waves, The New York Times, 7 Feb. 1998
  11. Archives of Springdance Festival Archived 16 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  12. One Night Only 1/3 Technical sheet Archived 6 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Princess Productions
  13. Dance in Review, The New York Times, 31 Jan. 1994
  14. William Douglas, 42, a Choreographer, The New York Times, 16 March 1996
  15. Adéla movie Technical sheet Archived 28 November 2006 at Library and Archives Canada (Telefilm Canada) directed by Jocelyn Barnabé Archived 10 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  16. Laura Taler's profile, ICI Berlin, 2008
  17. Wong, Jessica (14 September 2011). "3D dance films Pina, Ora strive for cinematic innovation". CBC News. Retrieved 7 April 2012.
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