Dance, a universal and diverse art discipline | Present

Pamplona

In 1982, at the initiative of the International Dance Committee, it was proclaimed by UNESCO on April 29 as International Dance Day. The chosen date corresponds to the birth of the dancer and choreographer Jean-Georges Noverre. The objective of International Dance Day is to honor dance as a universal and diverse art discipline, bringing together all those who have chosen this form of expression without cultural, political and ethical barriers.

The Almudena Lobón Professional Dance School turns 40

It was 1982 when Almudena Lobón opened the doors of her center in Pamplona. She thus left Zaragoza, the city in which she was trained by María de Ávila, a great teacher of teachers. After having performed in the Chamber Ballet of Zaragoza, and, later, in the National Lyric Ballet (today the National Dance Company), she decided to dedicate her knowledge to teaching and left Madrid to settle in Pamplona.

Four decades dedicated to training dancers, many of whom today continue in large national and international dance companies, or, in turn, teach dance classes all over the world.

In all these years, Almudena has invested time and energy in “creating a school”, that is, training her own teachers, sharing the same work methodology with her staff, which is essential to offer students a coherent and careful preparation for their physical health. and psychological. This, perhaps, is the trait that most characterizes Almudena’s school.

There are thousands of students that Almudena has seen pass through her center and that thanks to the work of her entire team have been able to approach the magical world of dance with great benefit. The Almudena Lobón Professional Dance School has an unbeatable infrastructure, which, thanks to its two large dance halls, -which can accommodate groups of 18 and 24 students respectively-, has allowed the activity to continue without major changes until now. such a difficult period.

However, to guarantee an individualized follow-up of the student, the school’s policy is to keep a number limited to 16/18 students in each group.

For the next academic year, the center has drawn up a study plan that provides for 12 courses at different levels of classical dance: nine junior courses (from 4 years of age, from Pre-Ballet to advanced and pre-professional level), to continue with two special courses for a more adult audience (beginner/initiation level and intermediate/advanced level) and a course for professional dancers.

In the latter case, the study plan, in addition to the technical part, offers students the possibility of gaining an artistic experience, joining Aldanza, the professional dance company that, created by Almudena in the year 2000, It is the oldest of the active Navarran formations. The company has a very varied repertoire, which ranges from classical ballet to the most current contemporary, passing through the most exquisite neoclassical style.

The school also offers two contemporary dance courses (beginner/intermediate and intermediate/advanced level). In addition to dance classes, the center offers an “anti-aging” postural re-education course for a more adult audience, which applies an exclusive method personally developed by Almudena, a method that is characterized by its rapid proven effectiveness.

Throughout the academic year, the school organizes stages and intensive courses during vacation periods, in which invited teachers of recognized international prestige also take part.

To celebrate the center’s 40th anniversary, Almudena will stage a new production, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, which will premiere on June 17 at the Barañain Auditorium, with original choreographies created by herself.

Almudena, from the height of her experience, affirms that “what is important when teaching this discipline is the professionalism of the teacher, who has to have a global vision that takes the form of extreme attention to the student, personalizing the work and offering an education that is always characterized by the highest quality.”

–