Water, we have asked for water
And you, oh God, give us wind
And you turn your back on us
As if you did not want to listen to us
Thus is the lament that the Catalan people address to their higher powers. Jardi Tancat is the Catalan title for a closed garden. The plot of the ballet is based on ancient Spanish folklore depicting the struggle of its people to sow, plant and harvest in the dry Catalan soil. Their labor goes oft unrewarded yet they do not give up.
The Spanish choreographer Nacho Duato danced with the Cullberg Ballet from 1980-1981 and thereafter with the Nederlands Danstheater. Created in 1983 Jardi Tancat, was Duato’s first work, later having its Swedish premiere with the Cullberg Ballet in 1988. It was well received and appreciated by both press and audience alike.
Six dancers depict the Catalan people’s arduous labor with the barren earth and their lamentations to the higher powers over the drought. The work was accompanied by singer Maria Del Mar Bonet, who sang traditional Catalan workers’ songs. Nacho Duato himself created the minimalist scenography and simple costumes.