Who is the Argentine dancer that Julio Bocca chose to take the place of Marianela Núñez

The Colón Theater Ballet In March he released a beautiful version of Raul Candal of the archclassic Swan Lake. For the eleven planned performances, several casts were put together with different Colón dancers in the double role of Odile and Odette; plus two functions with Marianela Núñez as a guest and also the great surprise of a very young member of the dance corps, Romina García Vázquezchosen for the very difficult roles of Odile and Odette, brought together in the same person.

But not only that: outside of the function assigned to him, Romina García Vázquez did two others: those that Marianela Núñez could not complete due to an injury she had suffered in London.

The question is worth: what led to Julio Bocca to choose Romina for such a challenge?

This is what Bocca, who as is well known is the current director of the Ballet del Colón, says: “Last year Romina had been doing a good job, taking classes every day and learning the works with great conduct; she also made some small variations in different ballets and when Raúl Candal began his editing work he thought it would be interesting to start trying it out. We already had the casts set up for each performance, including those of Marianela; but I asked Romina to study the role for an eventual fifth cast.”

“The intention, at least last year, was not for me to dance Lake… But this year, when we resumed rehearsals, we saw how he had grown and the confidence he had gained. I thought it was good to give it a function. All dancers go through that moment, the first time, and it’s nice that it touches you when you’re young.. Then it will be time to elaborate and develop those roles. It happened to me several times and I know the value it has.”

“Raúl thought it was good to give her the performance on Saturday and then the unfortunate episode with Marianela happened. The other couples were busy at work because they were doing several performances and on the other hand Romina had time to rehearse. I spoke of course with the guest dancer (the Cuban Alejandro Virelles) and with Romina herself. I asked him: “Do you feel that it is too much responsibility, not only to dance Lake…“But also replace Marianela?” He answered that he felt strong to do it and I really liked that answer.”

-At some point did you and Raúl Candal think that Romina would dance only Odette in the first act and that Odile would be played by another dancer in the third?

-No no. On the one hand, it is nice to see the change of the two Swans in the same performer. It is true that very few dancers are equally good in both characters, but we organized it so that Romina felt solid. For example, the Black Swan makes 32 fouettés (note: that almost acrobatic skill that the dancer performs on the tip of one foot while spinning propelled by the other leg) and we knew that it was not her strong suit; so I reduced them by half so that I would be calmer and safer. I think it was a great debut for her and she has a great career ahead of her.

After reading the above we could well imagine that Romina García Vázquez is a person with a poise that is proof of anything. But not. She describes herself as a rather shy person. He has just turned 23 years old, has a lanky figure and a charming smile. She looks like just a teenager.

-How did your desire to dance awaken?

-At the age of four we went with a friend from kindergarten to a dance class. When I arrived I felt ashamed and wanted to leave; Afterwards, I didn’t want to leave class. The next day, my mother bought me everything I needed: the leggings, the tights, the slippers.

-Did you first have private training and then enter the Instituto del Colón?

-Yes, I started with a first teacher, Mariana Jadurin the study of Liliana Belfiore and then I went to Liliana’s own classes, where everything was mixed: professional and non-professional dancers, young people, older people. I was one of the smallest. Later I prepared a lot with Raúl Candal to enter the Instituto del Colón.

-The great demands of going to high school and at the same time attending primary and secondary school, how did you handle it?

-Actually, I went to the Institute when I was twelve years old because my parents wanted me to finish primary school normally; I did high school remotely so I could dedicate myself completely to dance. I had great teachers at the Institute.

-Did you ever doubt your vocation?

-Never. I never did anything I loved as much as dancing. And the discipline of the Institute did not weigh on me either. I am (laughs) very diligent.

-Were you already at the Institute when the pandemic began?

-Yeah. We did classes by zoom. It was very strange. He used the door frame as a bar; With one hand he touched the wall and with the other, the closet.

-When did you join the Ballet del Colón?

-In 2022, the Ballet was beginning to rehearse Giselle and they called us, several students from the Institute, to reinforce the dance team. and then I went through the annual auditions and got in all of them. It was a continuity.

-Why do you think Julio Bocca chose you to do a feature? Swan Lake in addition to the two that Marianela Núñez would have done?

-I would like to ask you. What did I feel when he proposed it to me? That what was happening to me was not real. But since I knew it was the fifth cast, I assumed I wouldn’t get to dance. I studied it just in case and nevertheless I enjoyed it very much. The day they posted the form with the schedule of duties, a colleague sent me a photo of this form because my name appeared on it. I was traveling on the bus and I started crying.

-How did you develop the characters?

-Everyone was telling me things: Julio, Raúl, Maricel De Mitri and also my own teammates. One of them told me about Odile, the Black Swan: “Look at the Prince, hold your gaze.” It was difficult for me. They were things like that, that I asked them to tell me at lunch or in the dressing rooms.

-How do you see yourself moving forward in your career?

-I would like to dance a lot, in principle my favorite works: Giselle, The Bayadere, Romeo and Juliet. Continue delving into Swan Lakeachieve a more evil Odile.

-For now I feel very happy where I am. Of course, there are great companies in which it would be good to dance: the Paris Opera, the Royal Ballet. But Here are my parents in the audience and are my classmates from the Institute who now belong to the Ballet and who have known each other since we were little. One family, one world.