Muse of Mats Ek, the unique and incomparable ballerina Ana Laguna, a Swede of Spanish descent, was born in May 1954 in Zaragoza. She studied dance under the guidance of the outstanding Spanish ballerina Maria de Avila and spent a year in Madrid. At the age of 19, she was accepted into Stockholm's Cullberg Ballet, where she would meet her future husband and the choreographer of her entire life. In 1982, Ek choreographed Giselle on her. Ana always clarifies in interviews that they started working together long before becoming a couple. However, it's unlikely that anyone would suspect Ana or Mats of excessive family ties - they are both so intriguing in everything they do as artists.
Ana has worked not only with Ek but also with Cunningham, Lubovitch, Béjart, Bruce, Kylián, Naharin, and Forsythe. Her partners have included Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov. Even before retiring as a dancer, she became Ek's assistant in staging his ballets on major stages worldwide. Together with Ek, she concluded her stage career in 2016.
Ana is not just talented, graceful, and expressive; she is a ballerina-actress capable of embodying any role. Her naive Giselle and intense Carmen both appear as if they are an intrinsic part of her nature.
Duets between choreographers and ballerinas are not so rare, but finding a muse who is completely kindred in spirit is a one-in-a-million stroke of luck. Ek and Laguna were fortunate in this regard.
Ana has worked not only with Ek but also with Cunningham, Lubovitch, Béjart, Bruce, Kylián, Naharin, and Forsythe. Her partners have included Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov. Even before retiring as a dancer, she became Ek's assistant in staging his ballets on major stages worldwide. Together with Ek, she concluded her stage career in 2016.
Ana is not just talented, graceful, and expressive; she is a ballerina-actress capable of embodying any role. Her naive Giselle and intense Carmen both appear as if they are an intrinsic part of her nature.
Duets between choreographers and ballerinas are not so rare, but finding a muse who is completely kindred in spirit is a one-in-a-million stroke of luck. Ek and Laguna were fortunate in this regard.
