V. Nebrada - confirm or deny?

[Mel Johnson]

I've just been given some information that Venezuelan choreographer Vicente Nebrada has died.

I've been trying to check around, but I don't have enough Spanish to know if the Caracas newspaper http://www.el-nacional.com/L&F/ediciones/2...tm&st=pC7s1.htm is announcing it, or just publishing nice things about him before he goes!

Can anyone confirm or deny, or at least translate as much of the story as is not covered by pictures?

[dirac]

My Spanish is skimpy, but from what I can read it sounds like, not the obituary itself, but comments from people who knew him about his contribution and his legacy.

[Mel Johnson]

Mine too, dirac. I can't make out whether he's moving away, or passing away?!

[Mel Johnson]

OK, I think I've got it. Somehow I figured out how to find the obituaries and it looks like it says in Monday's paper. "The Teacher and Choreographer died yesterday in Caracas"

Looks like he expired from chronic leukemia and prostate cancer.

This is very sad news.

http://www.el-nacional.com/L&F/ediciones/2...tm&st=pC7s1.htm

[Estelle]

Alas, the first line said "Reacciones ante su muerte", meaning "Reactions to his death"...

[katharine kanter]

Me;

translated for you the first two paragraphs of one of the articles. Excuse poor style, am in a rush.

 Rodríguez (dancer, head of the Ballet Nuevo Mundo de Caracas): “Vicente Nebrada and I worked together on a project that was to be the launch, and the development, of the Venezuelan school of choreography, insofar as neo-classical and contemporary ballet is concerned, including modern dance. That school and style is immortal and will remain forever, amongzst ourselves, and amongst the institutions, teachers, directors, dancers. It is our responsibility to do everything possible to support, defend and ensure that the range, repertory and style of Nebrada, drawing upon the knowledge and experience of Zane Wilson and his closest collaborators, and for whom the Ballet Nuevo Mundo de Caracas and myself personally, express our highest feelings of respect and solidarity.

 Isaac Chocrón (writer, playwright): “Since Nebrada returned to our country, invited by María Cristina Anzola and Elías Pérez Borjas to set up the Ballet Internacional de Caracas, he lent his "name and surname" to Venezuelan dance. From the days we were fellow students in the Escuela Experimental Venezuela, he always wanted to dance and create works at the year's end recitals. Year in year out, they asked him to return to dance the character of Guaicaipuro. I believe that that emphasis, oddly enough, was what made him into the leader of ballet in our country”.

[katharine kanter]

 Belén Lobo (former dancer): “The most significant thing one can say of Vicente Nebrada is that he was a universal Venezuelan choreographer. His work has been performed on all five continents. It's a terrible loss for the dance, as he was a great choreographer, and I do not believe there has been another like him in the neo-classical area. Amongst his major works, there was Géminis in 1970, Percusión para seis hombres in 1969, Nuestros valses... His choreographic heritage is vast, and includes as well, stagings of universal works. By good luck, this heritage, his entire work, remains with the Ballet Nacional de Caracas Teresa Carreño. There is a Vicente Nebrada foundation, that will now have to take charge of perpetuating his work. But this is not only the death of a great choreographer, it is the loss of a friend, a compansion since my adolescence. He began his career in the Escuela Nacional de Ballet de la Nena Coronil. That is where we met, and since that time, between us there has been the bond that Isaac Chocrón calls "an acquired family”.

[Mel Johnson]

Thank you, Estelle and Katharine - it looks like Ballet Talk has had what American newspeople call a "scoop", as I haven't seen his obituary in any newspaper, and only the Venezuelan sites seem to be covering this story. I only wish the news were better!

[katharine kanter]

 Carlos Paolillo (dance critic): “Vicente Nebrada throughout his life, always managed to keep aloft the rule that never eluded him, and that he had always striven for, that of an active protagonist. He belonged to the first generation of professional dancers in Venezuela, which emerged in between the 1940s and 50s. He was a founding member of fundamental projects like the Ballet Nena Coronil and the Ballet Nacional de Venezuela. He was a pioneer here, by successfully taking up the challenging of an international artistic career, in the dance world. He led the most ambitious project for Venezuelan ballet, the Ballet Internacional de Caracas, a true paradigm for the history of dance in this country. For almost twenty years, he was artistic director of Ballet del Teatro Teresa Carreño, bringing to that troupe a true rigour, and personality. He was the author of about sixty works, a huge choreographic legacy to the Venezuelan ballet, a Latin American, but universal one. When one speaks of the ballet in Latin America, the name and influence of Vicente Nebrada is fundamental, being one of its leading spokesmen, and having left his stamp on what is known as Latin American neo-classicisim”.

[katharine kanter]

 Celeste Jiménez (bailarina del BNMC): “The loss of Prof. Vicente Nebrada is a very sad one ineed, he was the choreographer par excellence of our country. Although it is some years now since I worked with him, it was thanks to him that I became a professional: in 1977 he chose me from amongst the Lidija Franklin school's students, to join the troupe of the Ballet Internacional de Caracas, at a time where ballet here was at its high point. I thus had the honour to share a rehearsal studio with him, and of course dance his wonderful work, for which I am eternally grateful, and also, proud”.

 Carlos Tapia (former dancer with the Ballet Nacional de Caracas): “Nebrada represents a major stage in my life, and it is to him that I owe my professional level, and shall always be grateful for his artistic and personal help. He was the patriarch of ballet in this country, and I am proud to have been a son of his. I do love him, and shall never forget him”.

 William Alcalá (ex bailarín y coreógrafo del BNC): “For me, Vicente Nebrada represents a recognition of life, respect and love. Qualities and virtues that he always taught. I owe you my professionalism, my growth as an artist, as you ever allowed me to enter into the creative process in each role I performed. You were an inspiration, and a discipline. I thank you for allowing me to be the artist I am. Your son, your student, and your friend, for ever”.

[BalletFlaMom]

I work at Ballet Florida (West Palm Beach, Florida) the Palm Beach Post's obituary of Mr. Nebrada is at

http://www.gopbi.com/partners/pbpost/epape...d560e900f7.html

Most of us were notified by telephone on Memorial Day, in a phone chain. We here are all sad and have a small memorial standing in our box office lobby.