(noticia) Flamenco's High Passions, in Distinct Interpretations

Dance Review | New York Flamenco Festival

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By ROSLYN SULCAS
Published: February 21, 2006

Jack Vartoogian/FrontRowPhotos
Antonio El Pipa, who comes from a famous flamenco family in Spain, performed with Concha Vargas and his dance company on Sunday.

Raw emotion is at the heart of flamenco — or at least the illusion of such emotion, conveyed with apparent spontaneity by a dancer responding to the intricate rhythms and fervent songs of accompanying musicians. The difficulty of infusing this into a theatrical performance bedevils most flamenco troupes, and the three companies presented by the New York Flamenco Festival 2006 at City Center last week tried different ways around the problem.


On Thursday night, the Madrid-based Nuevo Ballet Español presented "Flamenco Directo," an attempt at a contemporary rendering of the traditional forms. Nontraditional instruments (a flute and a cello) were used, and the company's founders, Ángel Rojas and Carlos Rodriguez, wove ballet and contemporary dance steps into the conventional elements: proudly circling arms, fiercely stamping feet, subtly undulating torsos.

(leer +) [vía the new york times]