Susana Lupiañez Pinto 'La Lupi' (Málaga, 1971) is one of the most distinctive dancers and choreographers in our country. Her shows are always eagerly awaited by her fans and legion of followers. She is also one of the most sought-after teachers worldwide, teaching master classes, specific courses, and learning sessions for all levels of dance. flamenco. She is currently working on the In-Progress artist residency, organized by Flamenco Festival in collaboration with Torrox Town Hall. As the culmination of these residencies, the preview of his latest work will take place in Torrox on June 28th, The unprecedented, which can then be seen in the Art Biennial Flamenco from Malaga of 25 of July.
With her characteristic generosity and openness, La Lupi chatted with us about this latest show and other issues inherent to her vocational career.
– Susana, you are currently working on the In Progress artist residencies that Flamenco Festival with Torrox Town Hall, in a wonderful setting between sea and countryside. How are you finding this experience?
– It's been wonderful. I've never been on a residency like this before. A technical residency, yes, but like this kind of coexistence, never. It's an exciting process, as we're constantly exchanging ideas, contributing to the show, developing the art day and night. We don't want to leave!
– Linked to this residency is the show The unpublishedTell us, what inspires you and how the creative process for this work came about?
– I've been mulling over a multitude of ideas for years, although we've been fully working on it since February 1st. I draw inspiration from my own life experiences, scenes of hardship I've endured on stage, but also from happiness. Everything you encounter when you perform on stage, and sometimes the audience isn't even half aware of it. How an artist copes with any adversity, but also how they feel in those situations and what happens when the artist goes home. I draw this from my own experience and from conversations with other colleagues, about how important some things are to us, like superstitions and luck. It's a very personal show; it's going to stir emotions.
– You're working under the direction of Alberto Velasco. How's that experience been?
– Alberto Velasco has done a wonderful job with the pattern making and sewing, combining a series of scenes that have produced a very beautiful result. For me, it has been a unique and enriching experience working with him.
«I would ask them to try to take their time and go slowly in learning, especially in the synergy of touch, dance and cante. Let them not just look at themselves within four walls and a mirror. Let them be very enthusiastic. Let them see the richness of others.
– Normally you have more than one singer, but on this occasion there is only one: Alfredo Tejada. If I You allow the expression, it seems like your favorite singer, because you have a gut feeling. special.
– Yes, yes, absolutely. Alfredo Tejada is my favorite singer. He's a singer who knows me very well, we both know each other very well. It's important that whoever you cante Someone you admire and who also admires you. When that admiration exists, everything is there. Because there are other singers you might like, but that connection I have with Alfredo Tejada... It's that when Alfredo sings to me and I dance, I think I reach climax.
– That absolute and magical connection that also involves the viewer, who perceives it.
– Alfredo sings with a heart-wrenching pang, with his voice, his diaphragm, and his soul. I perceive it that way; it's within me, and I radiate it out to the audience. It's an incredible connection, really.
– In your shows you always have Málaga as your flag, even if it's just a nod, whether it's remembering artists or characters from Málaga or including the verdiales, whose dance you have always championed. Will that also happen in The unpublished?
– Yes, yes. I'm like those film directors who have a leit motif In his films, mine is Málaga. It could be a dance, it could be a name, it could be my own conception of it. I'm very much a "Málaga" dance, very much of my homeland. When Miguel Poveda performed at the Teatro Real in Madrid, he gave me complete freedom to choose my act, and I chose to put on a verdiales dance, so people would get to know the idiosyncrasies of the dances of my homeland.
– Susana, you've always choreographed your shows, with many successes in this area. But for the first time, you're going to be choreographed. What's that like for you?
– Well, I'm delighted. I'm always hungry to learn, always. So I've put myself at the service of my fellow cast members Miguel Ángel Corbacho, assistant director of the National Ballet, and Iván Amaya, who have impeccable artistic careers. Aside from being enriching, for me it's like that little girl who's let loose at Disney World. It brings out the little girl inside me, who needs to learn every day. I dedicate many hours to studying, alone, rehearsing for many hours.
"I'm very much a 'malaguita,' very much from my homeland. When Miguel Poveda performed at the Teatro Real in Madrid, he gave me complete freedom to choose my act, and I chose to put on a verdiales dance, so people would get to know the idiosyncrasies of the dances from my homeland."
– No matter how many years you've been in school, you represent what Goya said: I'm still learning…
– Yes, it's essential for me. It's my motivation to get up every day.
– Along those lines, you've also had an 'outside eye' come to give you their perspective.
– Man! She's a friend, a role model, someone I admire, named Eva Yerbabuena. She told me, 'Come to my studio with Iván Amaya,' I was amazed there, and it was such a special, beautiful day… Eva is so generous, such a friend, such a colleague, I have no words. I was also so eager for her to contribute something to one of my shows… And she said, 'Of course, I'm here,' and for me it's been a gift.
– On the subject, colleagues, It's worth noting what a great companion you are to your fellow artists. Well, you, and also your partner, Curro de María. It's so obvious when Curro and Susana go to see a show! Because they're constantly cheering and encouraging the artist who's on stage at that moment. And not everyone is willing to give that.
– Look, you know what? When you truly love this profession and you're a true aficionado, that transcends your own interests, your ego. We're at the service of art. We're true aficionados. We love this so much that we love it above ourselves. And that's the trick to avoiding frustration, because there's always someone who does something better than you, on every level.
– But having that humility to see someone do something better than you is also almost exceptional. Not everyone has it.
– Absolutely. But I'm the first to find fault with myself. The desire to improve is very important to me. You also have to have a balance and know how to like and enjoy yourself, but without losing sight of the fact that you're not alone. Appreciate what others do better than you. When a show comes to Malaga and I can't go see it, I suffer, because we're such fans. And I think that's the key to being happy in this profession. Sometimes, like in all professions, you have your ups and downs, but the vocation is there and will remain intact until I die.
"You have to have a balance and know how to like and enjoy yourself, but without losing sight of what others do better than you. When a show comes to Malaga and I can't go see it, I suffer, because Curro and I are huge fans. I think that's the key to being happy in this profession."
– Do we Can you give us some scoop on what we'll see in The unpublished?
– It's very La Lupi. I'm constantly on stage, body and soul, showing parts of my life, part of who I am and why I am the way I am. I bare myself before the audience and share my fears, which is a catharsis that helps me heal. It's a cure; it helps me cleanse my soul and move forward. The musical weight of the show this time isn't carried by Curro de María, but by a young guitarist with a solid career, Antonio González. He's fresh and completely dedicated to the project. We also need that freshness to sustain us. And of course, I want to emphasize that this can be achieved thanks to the magnificent team I have. I'm at the helm, but we're all united. David Galiano on percussion, Ana del Rey as assistant director, Marina Perea on stage, Adolfo Rodríguez on lighting, and Antonio Romero and Ángel Olalla on sound..
– Precisely, going into this, both from your school and from your company you have given opportunities to many artists who have later projected themselves solo in the flamenco and they have made their careers and proudly say 'I started with La Lupi'.
– That's our responsibility, to give others opportunities. When I was 27 and arrived in Málaga from Madrid, there were talented young artists here. I saw clearly that I had to give them the opportunity to be seen on stage. And there was a constant struggle for that to happen. So many people, dancers, singers, percussionists, guitarists… I look back and it gives me great satisfaction and a great love for them. I go see them, I cheer them on, I encourage them. It's been a journey of growth all together.
– You're one of the best teachers, because I believe you have a gift that not everyone has: the gift of communication. You're able to communicate your passion to others and use it for teaching. You're in demand all over the world to teach courses, but what return does that give La Lupi? What do you take home after each course?
– A great satisfaction. I give it my all, I give it my all, because I'm insatiable and insatiable. They have to tell me, 'Come on, Lupi, the class's over, you've been here ten minutes too long.' I've learned a lot from teaching. I think most of what I've learned in my life has been from teaching.
"The play 'The Unpublished' is very La Lupi. I'm constantly on stage, body and soul, revealing parts of my life, part of who I am and why I am the way I am. I lay myself bare before the audience and share my fears, which is a catharsis that helps me heal."
– How do you see the current panorama of the flamenco?
– I see that there is an incredible technical level at the moment. There are many positive things, many young people who are clear that they want to dedicate themselves to this, both flamenco more classic as well as more avant-garde currents, or Spanish dance. Today's generations have everything at hand, invaluable information we didn't have before, and they can access it all on the internet. I also notice this in teaching, how quickly they learn. But of course, everything has its downside. We have far fewer experiences with teachers, and "slow-burning" is more important than fast-paced. Now, in the age of social media, a video can't last more than a minute because otherwise, no one will watch it. Imagine the methodology I have to use in my courses to keep them engaged for an hour and a half, and for the teaching to be productive. I would ask them to try to take their time and go slowly in learning, especially in the synergy of tapping, dancing, and the rhythm. cante. Let them not only look at themselves within four walls and a mirror. Let them be very enthusiastic. Let them see the richness of others. ♦
