Ballet Nacional de Espana is one of the main cultural ambassadors of Spain to the world. The Flamenco Festival showcases Spain’s rich choreographic heritage and traditions.
Invocacion features four different works, curated by artistic director Ruben Olmo: traditional bolero, contemporary dance, classical ballet and vibrant flamenco.
Invocacion Bolero modernises the traditional essence to original contemporary music. Jaulena is an elegant, stylized solo, which mixes bolero and flamenco.
Eterna Iberia, choregraphed by Antonio Najarro, has five classic signature movements with castanets. In one of the movements the women have beautiful costumes with their customary extra-long trains and in another the smartly dressed men swirl their toreador capes.
De Lo Flamenco is Olmo’s tribute to the legendary dancer and choreographer Mario Maya who found a new way to represent flamenco, using the traditional and familiar, but staging them in a manner which is totally modern.
Invocacion is a wonderfully pleasing extravaganza of dancing, foot-stamping, hand-clapping, arched-arms and the sound of amplified music and castanets. The performance offers fast-moving, fast-spinning ensembles and dramatic solos.
The sheer variety of the groupings is exhilarating. The entrances and exits are urgent. The movement in unison across the stage into position is sharp and precise.
The 38 dancers are noticeably all the same height, which gives the whole production an extra visual impact. Elegant and stylised, the cast are constantly changing their costumes. The gorgeous, colourful costumes play a major role in Ballet Nacional de Espana’s success.
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