Elena Sevilla is from Dénia, is 24 years old and has been dancing all her life. He comes to the interview accompanied by Patricia Sentí, his teacher, with whom links have been created that go beyond the student-teacher relationship. Elena is doing very interesting things in the world of dance and we need to know her. It is important to appreciate that we have very promising figures in Dénia like her, and also, to claim the world of dance itself, so unknown and so hidden behind other mass shows, such as competitive sports. Dance doesn't drag so much public, but it's an incredible world. We talked with Elena about her career and her emotions.
-How did you start in the world of dance?
I started dancing with 5 years, but I wasn't very clear. As a child it is difficult to have things clear, so some time later I quit. And it was more or less with 11 years when I really started dancing seriously. I got the bug of trying modern dance and I took it with much more desire and more strength. But there was Patricia to convince me to start dancing classical ballet, because it is the basis for the integral domain of the body. She valued my physical conditions as ideal for classical dance. And so I started, and I entered a level higher than the one that touched me by age, but I adapted very quickly.
Patricia Sentí, her teacher, describes her as a brilliant person, not only in the field of dance, but in all aspects of the person. "Elena is very passionate, hard-working and has spectacular physical conditions." In addition, according to Patricia, "Everything you have on a human level is transmitted in dance," and this is what Elena does: take out everything she has inside and show it to others.
"If it's clear in your head, you can do it"
-What level of effort does dance involve?
This world is demanding, and if you are, like me, you always want to take it all along and carry it very well. It doesn't mean much sacrifice because I love it. Everything is to propose it to you. If it is clear in your head, you can do it.
-Where are you in your career right now?
I have finished my Physiotherapy studies and I have also completed my classical ballet career. I am at a time when I can go deeper into contemporary dance, because now I have more time. I have done an intensive training in improvisation, they have given me a scholarship to work in the company Other Dance of Asun Noales, in a project for young talents. I'm also dancing in the company Gerard Collins From Valencia. This summer I have been working on a project subsidized by the Generalitat, which consisted of the creation of a choreographic piece with the music of the Consecration of Spring.
- Do you lead a life very different from that of other people your age?
I had to sacrifice many plans, especially on weekends, but it didn't matter to me. I was looking for them at another time and that's it. The resignations have not marked me in negative.
"Success is feeling good about yourself"
-What is success to you?
I don't miss any opportunity, I just want to dance. Success is feeling good about yourself, feeling good about what you do and what you want to do. I don't have a clear goal on the horizon, but I'm slowly building that personal success.
-What have your physiotherapy studies added when dancing?
They have helped me to acquire my body awareness, to know where I am moving. Contemporary dance is an investigation of the movement and the body itself, and this is closely related to Physiotherapy.
Patricia's contribution Sentí to Elena Sevilla's career
At this point, the interview takes a turn and becomes very emotional. Both Elena and Patricia skip tears when talking about each other.
- How has Patricia helped you grow as a dancer?
The basis of everything is her, like my mother. Our relationship is much more than a teacher-student relationship, because in the dance incredible links are created. There is so much emotion that Patricia also replies: "We have a brutal friendship, always with respect and with our age difference. From day one, it shows a lot when a person likes and dances with all their heart. And I I give my soul so they can fly. "
"Ballet is like a meditation"
According to Patricia Sentí, "dance lovers are passionate about all kinds of art. Art gives you values that other things do not. Besides, it is not only about brutal physical work, but also about an incredible mental effort: ballet it requires maximum concentration, discipline, teamwork. The two hemispheres of the brain work at the same time, they develop at the same time, and a great effort is made to be present, conscious, focusing. It is therapeutic, almost like a meditation. "
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Elena Sevilla in a ballet performance. Photography Paco Giménez
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Elena Sevilla during a performance. Photography Germán Antón
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The dancer of Dénia Elena Sevilla-Image Germán Antón
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Detail of the legs with tips. Sefa Ivars Photography
