0:00:02 > 0:00:05MUSIC: Excerpt from Carmen by Bizet
0:00:27 > 0:00:29Welcome to the Royal Opera House.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31Tonight, it's the end of an era
0:00:31 > 0:00:34as we'll be saying a very emotional farewell
0:00:34 > 0:00:39to one of our greatest dancers of his generation, Carlos Acosta.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41He's making his final appearance here,
0:00:41 > 0:00:43on our famous Covent Garden stage,
0:00:43 > 0:00:46marking his official retirement from classical ballet.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53For his final performance, he's choreographed a brand-new work,
0:00:53 > 0:00:58a sexy, steamy Carmen based on Bizet's classic opera.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Carlos dances the role of Don Jose,
0:01:00 > 0:01:04the soldier who is led onto the wrong side of the tracks
0:01:04 > 0:01:07by an attractive, dangerous gypsy girl, Carmen,
0:01:07 > 0:01:09with tragic consequences.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16Carlos first joined the Royal Ballet Company back in 1998
0:01:16 > 0:01:20and took up his current role as principal guest artist in 2003.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23He has danced all the great classical roles here
0:01:23 > 0:01:25and created a whole raft of new ones.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31To me, I always knew that I could play
0:01:31 > 0:01:34roles that demanded a lot of power
0:01:34 > 0:01:39and jumping, you know, like Don Quixote, all those roles,
0:01:39 > 0:01:42but I always was so eager to grow as an artist
0:01:42 > 0:01:47and I wanted to try myself in the roles that people don't think,
0:01:47 > 0:01:51- or me, myself, don't think I was so suited, you know?- Yes.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53And that's the key.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55The key is don't remain where you are,
0:01:55 > 0:02:00but actually try to, you know, keep evolving,
0:02:00 > 0:02:04and the Royal Ballet gave me that possibility,
0:02:04 > 0:02:06because they had the wonderful repertoire.
0:02:06 > 0:02:12And it's just fun. That's what this world of ballet, what it means,
0:02:12 > 0:02:17because these wonderful ballets are timeless and, you know,
0:02:17 > 0:02:23they give you a chance to just fly and be, you know.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28You've chosen your own creative piece to retire.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31Once I knew that this was going to be it,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34I said I want to do a creation
0:02:34 > 0:02:37and then I already developed at the time
0:02:37 > 0:02:40a structure to tell the story of Carmen my own way
0:02:40 > 0:02:45that I think, in my mind, was going to work.
0:02:45 > 0:02:50Did you ever have a vision that this is something that you'd retire on?
0:02:50 > 0:02:55I haven't got any vision as per to the life that I'm living, you know?
0:02:55 > 0:03:00The life that I'm living now, I could never dream.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04This has just happened. I mean, one step at a time.
0:03:04 > 0:03:11Even if I have a dream, my dream was going to be short-sighted.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14You never believed you'd be this.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16Never going to compare to the life I'm living now
0:03:16 > 0:03:18and the career I managed to get.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20A superstar in the Royal Ballet.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23Well, and also, talking about Carmen for instance,
0:03:23 > 0:03:26I mean, me choreographing Carmen in my retirement?
0:03:26 > 0:03:27I mean, come on.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32Carlos has brought the whole team together
0:03:32 > 0:03:33and the whole production idea is his.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36You know, it's a pretty major statement.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40This one, we could go around, because it's not as important.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43'We strived for something really simple, something that'
0:03:43 > 0:03:47would communicate the world of Carmen very quickly
0:03:47 > 0:03:51and not get too complicated, nothing to get in the way of the story.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54We'd searched and searched for images and ideas
0:03:54 > 0:03:58and we ended up with something simple and quite graphic
0:03:58 > 0:04:00that would then give the story to the dancers,
0:04:00 > 0:04:04give the story to the choreography, which I felt was really important.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06I was there really just to support that.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09Carlos wanted actually
0:04:09 > 0:04:11the whole thing to be very real.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15He didn't want everything to be too classical or...
0:04:15 > 0:04:16He just wanted, like, real people.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24Carlos has given Carmen these moves.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28It's very clear, just watching her, exactly what her emotions are,
0:04:28 > 0:04:31what mood she's in, which person she's being at that time.
0:04:33 > 0:04:38She's a very strong, passionate woman,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41that, you know, her biggest thing in life is freedom.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47Carmen is, first of all, a beautiful woman.
0:04:47 > 0:04:48She's a free woman.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51She's not held back by convention.
0:04:53 > 0:04:58What I also love about her is the fact that she's actually honest.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01You know, what you see is what you get.
0:05:01 > 0:05:06The fact that she is a man-eater and so flirtatious,
0:05:06 > 0:05:10but at the same time, I think, falls in love with these men.
0:05:14 > 0:05:19Don Jose, I feel he's the victim. He does everything for her.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22He's just willing to shoot, to kill for her,
0:05:22 > 0:05:24become an outlaw for her.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28Eventually she betrays him, you know, with Escamillo.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35He's the toreador. He comes in, everybody loves him.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39I mean, Escamillo's character is very show-offy.
0:05:39 > 0:05:44And he shows off and there are big jumps and turns and twists
0:05:44 > 0:05:45and it's continual,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48it's one after the other after the other into a star,
0:05:48 > 0:05:51into a move, into a run over there, a bit of a pose, a cigar,
0:05:51 > 0:05:53a puff, pull out the cigar and then he's off again.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00I would say Don Escamillo actually kind of walks in
0:06:00 > 0:06:02and swaggers Carmen off her feet.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07Of course, Carmen has already been dancing with Don Jose,
0:06:07 > 0:06:09but there isn't really any competition there.
0:06:09 > 0:06:10Escamillo's always going to win.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21It's just the journey. I think when you have a story like that,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24when you have a character like that, that's what is fascinating,
0:06:24 > 0:06:29just the journey - where you start and where you finish.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32And every beat is obviously important as they build up
0:06:32 > 0:06:35to the end that makes it so special.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40This has been the most challenging thing I have done so far,
0:06:40 > 0:06:42creating this Carmen.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48Carlos is a very complex figure because, of course, yes,
0:06:48 > 0:06:50he's a choreographer, he's a colleague,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53because I'm dancing with him on stage at the same time.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57He's also someone I've admired since I can remember.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03His physicality is incredible. He's very strong.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Very muscular. He has power.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13He also has a very precise technique which he's worked on over the years.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15He has all those abilities.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18Carlos's performing career has been extraordinary
0:07:18 > 0:07:20and to do something like Carmen
0:07:20 > 0:07:23is clearly going to be pretty impressive.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29I mean, there's been a lot of sleepless nights
0:07:29 > 0:07:32trying to work out how you're going to connect the story,
0:07:32 > 0:07:39how I was going to bring all these elements and, at the same time,
0:07:39 > 0:07:44I had to perform at the level that everybody expects from me.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47So it's been very, very stressful, but I pulled it off,
0:07:47 > 0:07:50and I'm very happy about that.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00Here is the new production of Carmen, choreographed by Carlos Acosta,
0:08:00 > 0:08:04with Carlos himself making his final appearance on the main stage
0:08:04 > 0:08:08after a glittering career with the Royal Ballet.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12APPLAUSE
0:08:34 > 0:08:39ORCHESTRA PLAYS, BELLS CHIME
0:10:04 > 0:10:08MUSIC: Instrumental of Habanera
0:10:52 > 0:10:54BELLS CHIME
0:11:01 > 0:11:05MUSIC: Aragonaise from Carmen Suite No 1
0:13:49 > 0:13:50LAUGHTER
0:13:58 > 0:14:02TENSE MUSIC PLAYS
0:14:51 > 0:14:55MARTIAL DRUMBEAT
0:15:04 > 0:15:09MUSIC: Les Dragons d'Alcala from Carmen Suite No 1
0:16:46 > 0:16:48MARTIAL DRUMBEAT
0:17:00 > 0:17:03DRUMROLL
0:17:29 > 0:17:37MUSIC: Intro to Seguedilla from Carmen Suite No 1
0:18:10 > 0:18:12MUSIC: Habanera from Carmen
0:20:22 > 0:20:24APPLAUSE
0:20:27 > 0:20:29MUSIC: Danse Boheme from Carmen Suite No 2
0:23:08 > 0:23:11- Oye! Tu! - Que no!
0:23:12 > 0:23:14Tu! Ven.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Ven aqui.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37MUSIC: Seguedille from Carmen Suite No 1
0:28:43 > 0:28:44MUSIC STOPS
0:28:51 > 0:28:54CHEERING AND CLAMOURING
0:29:32 > 0:29:35MUSIC: Intermezzo from Carmen Suite No 1
0:32:34 > 0:32:37APPLAUSE
0:33:26 > 0:33:31FLAMENCO-STYLE DRUMBEAT
0:34:15 > 0:34:17SPANISH GUITAR PLAYS
0:35:44 > 0:35:47APPLAUSE
0:36:31 > 0:36:34SPANISH GUITAR PLAYS
0:38:22 > 0:38:24APPLAUSE
0:38:26 > 0:38:29MUSIC: Toreador Song
0:39:02 > 0:39:06THEY SING IN SPANISH
0:39:11 > 0:39:14HE SINGS IN SPANISH
0:40:20 > 0:40:24CHEERING
0:41:12 > 0:41:14CHEERING
0:41:33 > 0:41:37APPLAUSE
0:41:38 > 0:41:40# Viva, viva el torero
0:41:40 > 0:41:42# Viva, viva el torero
0:41:42 > 0:41:44# Viva, viva Escamillo
0:41:44 > 0:41:47# Viva, viva Escamillo
0:41:47 > 0:41:50# Viva, viva
0:41:50 > 0:41:53# Viva
0:41:53 > 0:41:56# Viva! #
0:41:56 > 0:41:58CHEERING
0:42:06 > 0:42:09MUSIC SLOWS
0:47:20 > 0:47:23MUSIC: Prelude from Carmen
0:48:30 > 0:48:34MUSIC: La fleur que tu m'avais jetee (instrumental)
0:51:55 > 0:51:59TENSE MUSIC PLAYS
0:52:51 > 0:52:55SPANISH GUITAR PLAYS
0:53:13 > 0:53:17CASTANETS CLICK
0:54:58 > 0:55:00ORCHESTRA SWELLS
0:55:02 > 0:55:05MUSIC: En vain pour eviter from Carmen
0:55:08 > 0:55:12SHE SINGS ARIA IN SPANISH
0:56:32 > 0:56:34ARIA ENDS
0:56:51 > 0:56:54MUSIC RESUMES
0:58:41 > 0:58:44PERCUSSION PLAYS
0:58:57 > 0:58:59MUSIC: Refrain from March of the Toreadors
0:59:20 > 0:59:23MUSIC: March of the Toreadors
0:59:50 > 0:59:52MUSIC: Toreador Song
1:00:31 > 1:00:33CHEERING
1:00:33 > 1:00:37MUSIC: Chorus from the Toreador Song
1:01:12 > 1:01:14MUSIC SLOWS
1:01:21 > 1:01:24"MARCH OF THE TOREADORS" RESUMES
1:01:24 > 1:01:26MUSIC SLOWS
1:01:33 > 1:01:36"MARCH OF THE TOREADORS" RESUMES
1:01:36 > 1:01:38MUSIC SLOWS
1:07:26 > 1:07:32APPLAUSE
1:07:53 > 1:07:56CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
1:08:18 > 1:08:22APPLAUSE CONTINUES
1:08:26 > 1:08:30CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
1:08:44 > 1:08:48APPLAUSE CONTINUES
1:09:03 > 1:09:06CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
1:10:48 > 1:10:50CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
1:11:26 > 1:11:27Well...
1:11:29 > 1:11:33..the reality is that to build a career like that...
1:11:34 > 1:11:39..you need the help of the audience, of course,
1:11:39 > 1:11:42the help of these wonderful people that you've got here.
1:11:44 > 1:11:47They are like a family...to me.
1:11:47 > 1:11:51The help of all these other wonderful people who are inside
1:11:51 > 1:11:54right now, perhaps hiding in the wings,
1:11:54 > 1:11:58the crew members, another lot of wonderful people in the offices,
1:11:58 > 1:12:01and in the physiotherapy room.
1:12:01 > 1:12:03LAUGHTER
1:12:03 > 1:12:07As you can see, it is a collective art
1:12:07 > 1:12:10and I want to say something to a new generation of dancers, actually.
1:12:10 > 1:12:12My advice for you is...
1:12:13 > 1:12:17..allow yourself the freedom to commit mistakes.
1:12:17 > 1:12:22There is nothing like right or wrong, better or worse.
1:12:22 > 1:12:23There is no such thing as failure
1:12:23 > 1:12:28because life is an eternal learning process.
1:12:28 > 1:12:30You're always learning.
1:12:30 > 1:12:35So be curious and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy, because one day
1:12:35 > 1:12:40you blink and you realise that 17 years has gone by and it's over.
1:12:40 > 1:12:43And I know that too well, so thank you very much.
1:12:43 > 1:12:47APPLAUSE