Patricia Delgado left last year’s Tony Awards with a trophy for Best Choreography—but until now, she’d never choreographed a work on her own. She earned the Tony alongside her husband, Justin Peck, for their work on the Broadway musical Buena Vista Social Club. The pair also collaborated on the 2021 film adaptation of West Side Story. Now Delgado, a former Miami City Ballet principal, is striking out alone: She’s the sole choreographer for the new musical Basura.
Featuring original music by Latin-pop legend Gloria Estefan and her daughter, musician Emily Estefan, the show will premiere at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre, running from May 30–July 12. Basura isbased on the documentary Landfill Harmonic, which tells the story of a group of young musicians in Paraguay who create instruments out of garbage from a nearby landfill. (The Spanish word “basura” translates to “trash.”)
Between rehearsals, Delgado talked about how she’s honing her own choreographic voice.
Patricia Delgado rehearsing with the cast of Basura. Photo by Anna Waller, courtesy Alliance Theatre.
What made this the right choreography project for you to take on by yourself?
My first instinct was “I don’t know if I can do this.” But then I spoke with the director, Michael Greif, who I’m a huge fan of. I became a musical theater fanatic after seeing Rent (which he directed). Michael said that Basura isn’t a big dance musical, but there are certain moments that need dance to express big emotions, like joy. I thought, Well, dancing gives me that joy, so I think I can do this.
Then I did a lot of research. The premise of kids being gifted a way to see the world through a different lens because of music really attracted me. And the fact that there were going to be so many young Latin people involved. Then I heard the music, and I was transported to my young self, before I even knew the word “choreography” and was just making up movement with my sister in the living room to Gloria Estefan. All those things aligning gave me the courage to say yes.
What does the dance in the show look like?
There’s not an ensemble of dancers like in Buena Vista. It’s an integrated cast (of dancers and nondancers). So, I wanted to make sure the dance was alive and breathing in an organic way. There’s dance in the staging, like when the cast is on an airplane and we show takeoff and flight. There are moments of celebration, like an asado, a barbecue, where the community dances while grilling and eating. And then there are moments of dance as poetry, suspension of disbelief. I’ve really stretched myself stylistically.
How have you found your way into your own creative process, as opposed to the one you’ve shared with Justin?
I started with something I heard Twyla Tharp say in an interview, about how you have to give yourself a practice of moving every day. I was just trying to generate material. I used the lyrics, dialogue from the scenes, and research on Paraguayan folk dance to inspire movement. I tried to use my analytical brain along with what’s happening viscerally in the moment in the studio.
Once I had a phrase, I kept editing it over and over again. That kind of rigor, not to be complacent, that comes from Justin. I’ve watched how he creates a level of sophistication. He sets a very high bar.
Now that you’ve stepped into this role on your own, what’s next for you as a choreographer?
I’ve become very inspired by Emily Estefan’s music and am going to collaborate with her on the Miami City Ballet piece that will have its premiere next fall. Since I left MCB, I’ve had experiences that I could never have dreamt of. But I still do a full ballet class as my warm-up. I still feel very much like a ballerina. I’m just trying to bring the company something that feels like the mix of all the things I’ve learned ballet can be since I left. How can I infuse Latin rhythms and movement and create a theatrical experience using ballet?
Then, who knows? I don’t feel as scared now to say yes to a project where my role would involve making instead of being the vessel. I’m excited.
The post Patricia Delgado on Her First Solo Choreographic Venture, the New Musical Basura appeared first on Dance Magazine.
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