Dance Reportage
Gala Santamaría Máñez
BY CONTEMPORARY DANCER
The Gardens of Godella are a place of childhood for Gala. Here, near Valencia, she grew up. Today, the windows of the pavilion are rusty and barren, but Gala connects this meeting spot with her youth. A story lingers in the air here – her story. This is where she wanted to return for the shoot, to surrender herself silently to the dance. Without music, she dances her choreography, pausing repeatedly. She feels who she once was here – and who she is today, connecting with the place and the nature surrounding her. This emotion, between nostalgia and pure strength…
Between the past and the living dance, this emotion is expressed here. The pavilion provides Gala with protection and depth. Only as a second location do we choose the open field. The dancer sinks up to her ankles in the loose earth, but now she cannot be stopped. No rusty windows, no concrete limits her movements. Here, she forgets the camera and the world around her. With this photoshoot, Gala has embarked on a small journey – back into the past, forward into freedom.
„ vielen Dank, Mel, für diese Erfahrung, ich habe es sehr genossen, und das Ergebnis ist wundervolle Schönheit“.