If you attended
Sabores (Flavours) just to see Sara Baras, you would not have
been disappointed. Lithe and long-limbed with expressive arms, she stamped
and spun with a furious passion and precision, showing why she is considered
among the best flamenco dancers in Spain. With her personal interpretation
of traditional flamenco choreography and costuming, she and her company,
Ballet Flamenco Sara Baras, teased the audience with the possibility
of an exploration below the surface of the standard concert format.
This was not to be, however.
The evening began with the dancers and musicians casually coming on
stage, warming up and rehearsing small sections of the dances to an
evocative Bolero, featuring violinist Pere Bardagi and vocalist Ángela
Bautista. The first appearance of Baras drew ecstatic applause. Known
for developing a costume without the trademark polka dots and tiers
of frills, she wore a tie-dyed floor-length dress that miraculously
unwound into an enormous circle as she danced.
As she spun, her skirt spiralled around her and caught the light, similar
to how the 19th-century dancer Loie Fuller used her voluminous costumes.
It was breathtaking and beautiful. The performance progressed mainly
through a series of solos by Baras and her guests José Serrano
and Luis Ortega. The musical palos (styles to express various emotions)
were shown through the complex rhythms of the feet, the dancers’
multiple turns and expressive gestures, embodying the essence of flamenco.
Although there was no doubt about the technical mastery and charisma
of these performers, the strict adherence to a traditional format became
repetitive and predictable. In typical style, the excellent musicians
were placed behind the performers on two small platforms while the dancers
worked in front of them. According to the programme, this approach was
intentional in order to allow the "the colours (of the dance) to
take the limelight".
While there was some interplay between the dancers and the musicians,
this could have been extended much further to bring everyone into the
show. The company performed intermittently and created some much-needed
interest and diversity between the solos through choreography that included
interaction between the sexes and some inventive moves such as overhead
lifts.
Overall I found the format of this performance somewhat passé.
Despite the virtuosic performances, the absence of any sets, narratives,
transitions or evolving dynamics left us with a series of disjointed
items. Die-hard flamenco fans may have been excited to see another set
of complex footwork and another encore, but at many points, I became
disengaged. I was looking for an uplifting, theatrical experience and
this aspect of the performance eluded me.
First Impression
If you went to see Sara Baras, the diva and brilliant exponent of classic
flamenco, you would not have been disappointed by Sabores.
She stamped and spun with a furious passion and precision showing why
she is considered amongst the best practitioners of this art. Her lithe,
long-limbed form is unusual for a flamenco dancer and this enabled her
to extend her arms expressively as she danced the intricate steps of
the tango, taranto and martinette. By presenting a personal interpretation
of traditional flamenco choreography and costuming, she teased the audience
with the possibility of an exploration below the surface of the standard
flamenco concert format. This was not to be, however. With no sets,
narratives, transitions or evolving dynamic, I found the series of items
disjointed. Die-hard flamenco fans may have been in raptures after seeing
another set of complex footwork and another encore, but at many points,
I became disengaged. I was looking for an uplifting, theatrical experience
from the evening of dance, but it eluded me. |
"Although there was no doubt about the technical mastery and charisma
of these performers, the strict adherence to a traditional format became
repetitive and predictable"
Credits
Choreography and Direction: Sara Baras in collaboration
with guest artists José Serrano and Luis Ortega
Dancers: Sara Baras, Alicia Fernández, Cecilia
Gómez, Ana González, Charo Pedraja, María Vega,
Raúl Fernandez, José Galán, David Martin, Daniel
Saltares and David Nieto
Music: José Marla Bandera, José Carlos
Gómez, Mario Montoya, Miguel de la Tolea and Saúl Quirós
Lighting and Scenography: Fernando Martin and Sara
Baras
Costume Design: Sara Baras
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