EXPERIMENTAL? YES. A LITTLE CONFUSING? ALSO YES

By Trisha Cusack ⭐⭐⭐ | Press Invite

Concluding this year’s Flamenco Festival at Sadler’s Wells East was Retablo experimental sobre el baile flamenco, an innovative project by choreographers, Rafael Estévez and Valeriano Paños.

Over the course of an hour and fifteen minutes, the audience witnesses a set of six different choreographies, each with their own storyline and style. Delivered by a five-person, all-male dance company, Retablo presents a contemporary expression of flamenco, focused on the versatility of the male flamenco dancer.

The show moves away from the traditional set up, removing the toque (the guitar playing) element, leaving only the baile (the dance) and the cante (the singing) components. The room is in complete silence, with the dancers only using their own bodies to create the music. Throughout the show, they assist one another with their voices, lighting, their bodies, and small props and instruments to complete the atmosphere.

Some narratives are easier to interpret than others. The show’s first dance, performed by Jorge Morera and Manuel Montes, is the most contemporary in style and perhaps the most confusing of the six. The intimacy of the performance, coupled with the slow realisation that this isn’t a traditional flamenco dance, made it unclear how to interpret the narrative. I felt it took a while to warm up to the performance and understand where the night was taking us.

However, once the cantaor (singer), Alberto Sellés, was introduced in the subsequent choreographies, the show picked up pace. The merging of traditional and more abstract forms of flamenco was an interesting concept. The bits of humour that were injected into the choreography, in particular Rafael Estévez’s sets, were well received by the audience.

What was most impressive, undoubtedly, was the talent and athleticism of the performers. While this reviewer has limited experience with flamenco, it is evident that extremely high levels of skill and technique were needed to deliver this unique style of flamenco. The lack of guitar to divert attention only added to the pressure and drama. However, despite difficulties in interpreting the storylines, the dancers kept the audience engaged throughout.

As the Flamenco Festival celebrates its 20th year this year, it will be interesting to see what the future of the art form holds. With their commitment to exploration, Estévez/Paños y compañía pays a vibrant tribute to the ever-evolving art of flamenco.

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Photo Credit: METER LOS PIES © Beatrix Mexi Molnar