Antonio Najarro travels to Cyprus, Montreal with ‘best show of his career’

Najarro, who with his 18-member company was in İstanbul last month to present the closing performance of İş Sanat Culture Center's 2008-09 season, tells of the night in “Jazzing Flamenco.”

“After ‘FlamencOriental' I wanted to try something entirely different, and it had to be completely free of oriental elements. I was looking for a more sophisticated, more elegant project, and then I thought of creating a choreography that tells of the night, and that's how ‘Jazzing Flamenco' came out,” Najarro said in a recent interview.

“Not only jazz but also soul and blues music are incorporated [in the score], and this time we also have a soul singer accompanying us onstage,” Najarro says about “Jazzing Flamenco,” which features a score by Fernando Egozcue. “This project does not tell about jazz; it's about the night and its music -- jazz, flamenco or soul in [a set designed like] the impressive atmosphere of a nightclub,” Najarro said.

Najarro, his company's leading dancer-choreographer-artistic director, also designed the costumes for the show. “I have always had an interest in fashion. The costumes of a stage show are of the utmost importance for me. … Costumes are of the same value with the choreography. I cannot design the choreography without the costumes,” said Najarro. Asked how he manages to combine all these talents in himself, Najarro says: “I don't call this talent. You just show a little more sensitivity and put more brainpower in an area you love to work in. It's important that everyone [in the audience] loves the entire production, not just the dance.”