Lorena Nogal, National Dance Award 2024

• First of all… Congratulations on your 2024 National Dance Award! How do you feel about receiving this recognition?

I am very happy and fortunate, not only for the recognition but also for the wonderful welcome I received from all my colleagues in the profession.

• Throughout your career, what have been the biggest challenges you have faced?

I think that dedicating yourself to the world of dance is already a challenge in itself. Nothing is guaranteed and you have to make a titanic effort to put care and dedication into the constant search for resources or projects. I think that the challenge is daily. You have to manage stressful moments very well, take care of your body to avoid injuries when there is a lot of physical activity or balance your professional career with your personal life. Daily challenges ;)

• Is there any particular experience or moment that marked a before and after in your career?

I suppose that meeting a budding Marcos Morau at a choreographic competition when I was 21 was an unimaginable trigger for my career as a dancer. I could never have imagined that I would be part of what is now La Veronal, a project that would become a benchmark for contemporary dance both nationally and internationally.

• What is a day in the life of Lorena Nogal like?

The first thing I do is look at my calendar to see what's on that day. Right now I'm managing a lot of parallel activities on an artistic level and this involves a lot of travelling and changing suitcases, but I'm used to this constant coming and going and it stimulates me personally. No day is the same as the previous one. What gives me focus are the calls and the contact with the people I love, in the end, that's home.

• Speaking of fashion, how would you describe your personal style and what inspires you when choosing your outfits?

I like timeless clothes, made of organic fabrics and straight lines. As I travel a lot, I try to find clothes that can be versatile and can be combined with each other in style to create a “capsule wardrobe” that I can take with me on trips. But I also really like theatrical looks and occasionally wear a more extreme or extravagant piece of clothing.

• What upcoming projects do you have on the horizon?

In addition to continuing as a touring performer with the pieces SONOMA, FIRMAMENTO AND TOTENTANZ by La Veronal, and with the piece AQUÍ, my own creation for HOTEL Colectivo Escénico, next year I will be performing 3 new creations. The first, Room 444: Do not disturb with HOTEL Colectivo Escénico, will be presented in March at the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya, and as a creator, a small-format piece for an international programme that could also be seen in Barcelona. I am also starting to develop a solo that will be released in 2026.

• Have you ever had any embarrassing experiences due to your choice of outfit?

Yes. A few years ago I was leaving a rehearsal in very casual clothes and was invited to an event to celebrate an anniversary at Netherlans Dans. I didn't have time to go home and went straight to the venue. People were dressed in their best clothes and I was in a down jacket and jeans... definitely the standout outfit of the evening.

• What is the oldest piece of clothing you have that you haven't thrown away yet?

A t-shirt of my father when he was young.

• A style that you feel (very) identified with?

I don't know if I'm defined by a particular style. I like Japanese fashion and playing with volumes and textures.

• What changes would you like to see in the fashion industry? Are you one of those who stop and analyse what you buy or do you get carried away by fast fashion?

No, I'm getting more and more. Less clothes, but of better quality.

• What do you wear, for example, to an essay? And to receive the National Prize?

For an essay, a black Adidas tracksuit, a black T-shirt and white sports socks. To receive the national award, I will surely look for a particular garment for the occasion that I feel identified with. I know I will give it some thought.

• Weekend or vacation, do you prefer to drive or be driven?

If it's by car, they'll take me because I don't drive. If it's on foot, I'm more of a driver.

• When you go on a trip, do you stay in a hotel or an apartment?

Hotel if I work and apartment if I go for leisure.