Latino Leaders: The National Magazine of the Successful American Latino: Jacobo Espina Conde: dancer

There is a darkness that engulfs the desires of the human spirit, setting it on fire in a mystic blend of sensuality and passion. It is in the midst of that darkness that Cirque du Soleil, the famous French-Canadian based entertainment company, has found its newest home. Zumanity, the company's first production under its recently created division, "another Side of Cirque du Soleil," is a journey of exploration into the innermost desires of the human soul. The show is an unabashed celebration of all things sensual, erotic, and sexual--an assault of the senses that has provoked as diverse and intense reactions as spectators have experienced it.

But what attracted Latino Leaders magazine to this show is not so much the concept of the story as the fact that its main character, a genderless being called AlmuKataB, is played by an extraordinarily talented young Latino named Jacobo Espina Conde, who brings his magic touch to Cirque du Soleil courtesy of Madrid, Spain.

Jacobo was born and raised in Spain, the son of a well known Spanish politician, and from an early age he developed a passion for music and dance. After attending school in England, Jacobo returned to his homeland to frilly pursue his interest in dance. He delved into all forms of modern dance and quickly mastered the complexity of Turkish dances, which fascinated him bemuse of their fluidity and their androgynous nature, and which he experimented with in his productions with his dancing company in Madrid. It was during this time, (around 1997) that Cirque du Soleil, searching for talent to cast their newest, most compelling production, traveled to Spain to hold auditions. Jacobo went to the audition, and his unique mastery of fluid, asexual dance secured him the main role of the production. "The [talent scouts] were looking for someone who could embody the ambiguous nature of the character. They liked the way I moved my body--so they asked me to join them in Montreal." He has been with them ever since.

Jacobo spent a considerable amount of time rehearsing the show prior to its staging, first in Canada and then at the New York, New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, where Cirque du Soleil built a custom-made, 1,259-seat theater to host the show. In the process, he built strong ties with the other 49 members of the cast. "There are people from all over the world here, and when you spend so much time together, you end up feeling very close to them. Since none of us has family here in Las Vegas, we have become each other's family of sorts. We're very close--and we've learned to act as a unit."

Living in Las Vegas has certainly required an adjustment from him. 'The pace is so incredible. In Madrid people take their time, they stop to greet you--it's a lot more relaxed. Here things happen so fast. People are always in a hurry. There is so much going on constantly." Still, he has managed to adapt to his new environment very well, and along with his teammates at the show, he has been able to create a familiar circle that he feels quite comfortable in.

Of the show, Jacobo speaks freely, a reflection perhaps of his openness in dealing with the nature of the production. "The show is essentially a fantasy of nudity all of its forms. The audience has the option of enjoying things like women's breasts and phallic shapes that are sometimes as beautiful as the classic Greek statues." He adds: "[The show] is an incentive for fantasy and the dissipation of those monsters that we've created around sex. I think that what we show is very normal, though there are those who disagree with that statement. Since this is an erotic piece of work, it is not so much what you see that stimulates you, but rather what you imagine."

His character, the sexually undefined AlmukataB, is a timeless, ageless spirit filled with sensuality, love, and desire. The character was specifically created around the Moorish influences in Jacobo's Spanish background and culture, and it wisely incorporates his talents as a dancer.

Not characterized as human or animal, female or male, AlmuKataB is an androgynous phantom of sorts who provides the continual thread that ties the story together. "I play a character that is fairly esoteric and mystical," says Jacobo of his role.

At only 26, Jacobo still has a lot to offer and far more to achieve. Under contract with the Cirque for another year, Jacobo plans to remain part of the show for a while, though at some point later on he would like to return to Madrid to continue his exploration of Moorish dances and the modern dance movements that have always intrigued him so much.

Either way, it does not matter. Whatever path Jacobo chooses to follow from here on, he has already left the indelible mark of his amazing talent in this country--and for that he will always be highly admired and remembered.