A STRIPPED-BACK MASTERCLASS IN FLAMENCO FIRE

By Emma Carney | Bunny Pudding · Digital Coven · @bunnyscopes ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Press Invite

It is one of my favourite times of the year – The Flamenco Festival at Sadler’s Wells. This is my third year getting to be indulged with the best flamenco the world has to offer, and for my first show of the festival, I certainly was not disappointed. I really loved every single second. My eyes were transfixed on what was being presented to me on the stage by Compañía de Danza Jesús Carmona: UnYdos. I gobbled it up – every stomp, every click, every strum.

The show opens with everything stripped back to the bare bones. The lighting just catches the outline of Jesús Carmona against the complete darkness. A single finger click starts us off as he begins to take us on a journey of dance. What a journey it is. He slowly unfurls an arm with serpentine grace, then suddenly snatches at the air. It is this ability to play with tension and attack that marks Carmona out as a truly great dancer. His long solos are mesmerising, and honestly? It is his feet I want to listen to. The myths promise that they speak volumes at a high volume, and they do! 

Both dancers are electrifying. Lucía Campillo joins Carmona for a thrilling pas de deux, full of dramatic tableaux and elegant shapes. Her wrists work overtime as she creates beautiful, intricate movements. Watching her dance with a shawl, clutching it intensely to her body before swinging its heavy fabric in huge arcs, was breathtaking. Later she appears in an impossibly heavy salmon-pink bata de cola dress, kicking back her heels to make it lift off the floor. The weight of womanhood indeed – but she made it look effortless. There was also an appearance of a traditional spanish fan, as this is Flamenco after all, darling! 

The music took my breath away. The singing was astonishing – a wonderful mix of three very different voices. Jesús Corbacho with his lithe, flexible voice spinning melodic yarns in long phrases with real sensitivity of tone. He won the prestigious Lámpara Minera at Madrid’s competition for best flamenco singer in 2024, and you can hear why. Eleazar Cerreduela and Francisco Blanco (Al-Blanco) are just as good, with the former delivering the sole accompaniment for Carmona in one particularly powerful segment. Completing the company is José Manuel Martinez Muñoz “El Peli” on guitar, whose playing is both percussive and melodic, giving the dancers the perfect foundation to build upon.

One of the things I love most about flamenco is the intimacy of it. There is something so raw and honest about the connection between the artists and the audience. UnYdos has no theatrical setup, no thematic investigation – just two dancers and four musicians, stripped back and exposed. And that exposure is what makes it so thrilling. You cannot hide behind spectacle when it is just you, your feet, and a guitar. And Carmona has nothing to hide.

I found myself moved in so many places. The solo by Carmona was emotional and intimate, the singing wrapping around his movements like a second skin. At one point, the musicians’ choreography was just as compelling as the dancers’, reminding us that flamenco is not just about the feet and the wrists, but a union of music and movement, voice and rhythm, tradition and soul.

The energy of the company never flags. There is never a dull moment. And the audience? We were utterly captivated. By the end, I wanted to jump up and shout “¡Olé!” – and plenty of people around me did.

Five stars. What a way to kick off the festival. I cannot wait to see what else this year has in store.

Compañía de Danza Jesús Carmona: UnYdos was performed at Sadler’s Wells on Tuesday 16 and Wednesday 17 June, as part of the Flamenco Festival 2026.

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Photo Credit: Festival de la Union

CAST

Dancer / Director – Jesús Carmona
Guest Dancer – Lucía Campillo
Guest Singer – Jesús Corbacho
Singer / Palmero – Eleazar Cerreduela
Singer / Palmero – Francisco Blanco (Al-Blanco)
Guitarist – José Manuel Martinez Muñoz “El Peli”

PRODUCTION

Lighting Design – Juanjo Hernández Trigueros