FLAMENCO BUZZ HOME

Review of Paco Peña Flamenco Dance Company, ¡A Compás!

Friday, March 30, 2007, 8:00 pm

The Town Hall, NY, NY

(Reviewed by Damaris "La Gata" Solis with Mari Katsigianis)

Featuring:
Dancers: Ángel Muñoz, Charo Espino, Ramón Martinez
Guitarists: Paco Peña, Paco Arriaga, Rafael Montilla
Singers: Miguel Ortega, Inmaculada Rivero
Percusión: Nacho Lopez

What comes to mind when you think of the word “tradition”? I always picture barrel-chested Tevye, who proudly proclaimed to the skies in Fiddler on the Roof, “TRADITION!!!.” There was most definitely a beautiful display of flamenco tradition on stage that night. World-Class Master Flamenco Guitarist Paco Peña started off with an elegant Petenera, one of many palos which he performed that are not part of the usual theatre fare.

At another instance in the show, guitarists Paco Arriaga & Rafael Montilla’s skillful fingering complemented his playing, each adapting harmonies-- one higher, one lower, all melting into the sound of one guitar. There is a statesman-like quality to Sr. Peña’s playing, clothed in his humble willingness to be the guitar that accompanied the other members of the company as they danced. I could not believe how much stage time he allotted to all his performers, this was a TROUPE in the very noblest sense of the word. Paco has enough confidence in the quality of his own person “product” that he understands that audiences will evaluate his mastery without the need to “hog” the stage as others have in the past. Each and every number had a connection to the one before it, and highlighted the skills of the dancers, guitarists and singers in a truly even-handed way.

Now for my favorite part of the show – sorry but I am rather prejudiced when it comes to Ángel Muñoz & Charo Espino, who are husband and wife. They executed an achingly exquisite Flamenco “pas de deux”, to the point that I felt as if I was peeking into an intimate moment between lovers. You could tell this was much more than a working gig for this pair – it was an expression of their deep love and regard for one another as dancers and as life partners. Angel’s hands caressed the air around the curves of Charo’s body, an unseen string connected his hands to her hips, her deep backbend and outstretched arms signaling her submission. Separately, they are masterful performers. Together, they produce an intense, slow burn that FEW contemporary performers either seek to perform or if attempting to perform, can achieve...

(Angel was principal dancer for many years with Compañía María Pages, and while touring with her, he only got to dance a fraction of the kind of rare and traditonal flamenco seen this night. I was absolutely sucker-punched by his amazing grace, strength, and control!) Charo Espina is highly regarded throughout Spain and has joined in performing with Angel’s company in the past.

In fact I can’t remember the last time I have seen a pair dance so exquisitely – these days it’s about solo performances or huge stage gatherings, but the simple “man/woman” thing gets short shrift in modern flamenco productions. Kudos to Sr. Peña’s keen understanding that most American theatre-goers are STARVING for the real deal which he has so graciously provided in this particular production!

New to me, Ramón Martinez’ danced an Alegrías that breathed the heady fragrance of love into the air that lingered momentarily. It’s bright and sunny joyfulness conveyed the promise of young manhood - - - bravado-fueled leaps and hair-tossing turns marked it’s sentiment. I appreciated his sense of playfulness, the audience responding in kind. Like Antonio el Pipa, he smiled and emoted freely (with no regard for any external judgment.) Unlike Sr. el Pipa, his emotion served as accent to the dance and not as a full-fledged character in the story… Isn’t it wonderful how music and movement is a language spoken worldwide and needs no translation? This dancer is a tremendous talent and another hidden jewel of the male flamenco dance community. After a mind-numbing selection in Jerez, it was so refreshing to see Ramón Martinez blow the audience away with his style.

The style of the Farruca danced by Angel Muñoz is by definition seminal to the question plaguing many dancers; how to marry the balletic training with the earthy feel of flamenco without seeming stiff and/or contrived. He is the very characterization of how to portray classical form with a distinctively masculine grace. The Farruca is where your technique is laid bare for the entire world to see – the lunges, the turns, the compás. It is astonishing to see how much his feet, arms, even hair are an extension of his thoughts. That is true, unadulterated talent wrapped up in one of the finest performers on the world stage today. This man deserves his own show New York – uhh - New York… are you LISTENING???

In one of the many gorgeously-staged numbers, Sr. Peña and Sra. Espino sat face to face, he with guitar, she, armed with castanets. They conversed, his tone was thoughtful one, she answered sharply and distinctly, the castanets an extension of her arms (again with extensions… must run in the family!) In the end, she acquiesced and they both agreed. There is a seamless co-existence between Paco Peña and his artists, no matter what was being performed; you instinctively knew they completely understood each other. Flawless.

Charo Espino is a sketch artists’ dream. Imagine if you will a blank page where you are asked to define a moving object in not more than six strokes of your pencil. If you use the plumb line of Charo’s back, you can clearly illustrate how a female dancer is supposed to move.

Singers Miguel Ortega & Inmaculada Rivero are two well-matched voices. It is not an easy feat to have different voices blend well, this is a testament to Paco Peña’s ear. Where Mr. Ortega’s voice was powerful in volume and expression, Srta. Rivero’s quiet intensity was demonstrated in the amount of the control it took to transmit jondo lament. It was the contrast of explosion versus implosion. Both forces can bring down the foundation of a building.

Towards the end of the show, something only heard on recordings, yet there it was, live on stage! The guitarists turned into blacksmiths, pounding a Minera compás on ANVILS in the style of “La Fragua”, no less! Neurons [those little electrical impulses in your brain] were firing throughout the entire theatre, especially within the head of yours truly. There’s more – the rest of the men were rapping their knuckles on a table, and the two women in the company were doing palmas. In fact Charo was doing palmas AND dancing while sitting down. (Try that sometime, I dare you all!) They coursed through different palos, as if to say, compás is found anywhere and in anything you do, it is as close to you as the air you breathe. It is the heartbeat of flamenco.

This show with it’s simply designed costumes, bare stage, and minimal use of lighting left me gasping for more – they even had an intermission can you believe it? The 8:00 pm show let out sometime before 11:00 pm and yet still left the audience gasping for more. I was totally enraptured for the ENTIRE show, no wandering of mind, no fidgeting, just pure devotion the elegant offering that was ¡A Compás!

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