“Formas y movimiento” Cía. Joaquín Grilo Wednesday 15th september, 2004. 9pm Teatro Lope de Vega, Seville     Program XIII Bienal de Arte Flamenco Seville

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The show presented by dancer Joaquín Grilo Wednesday, September 15 at the Lope de Vega Theater can be described as in the line of the “dark works” which have become so prevalent in flamenco in recent years. Black backdrop, black wardrobe and scant lighting, a formula which is departed from only briefly in the bulerías ending. An hour and twenty minutes of rigorous solemnity and long, difficult dances meticulously rehearsed and which take too little advantage of the cante.

With that out of the way it must be pointed out that these are highly polished and professional artists whose vision of contemporary flamenco is seen through the filter of the past. Grilo’s dance always reflects Antonio Canales: the silent film gestures, the constant nod to the way old folks dance in small towns, the compás which is worked and explored at depth...but he tends to lack the touch of madness that makes it all believable.

The show opens with a footwork solo and the pretext is tangos with the cante of Carmen Grilo, the dancer’s sister, whose singing oscillates between interesting and annoying. The first “ay” of siguiriyas launched by singer José Valencia refreshes the ambience like rain in August. The dance is a duet with dancer Rosario Toledo, precise and perfected although it doesn’t quite manage to avoid a certain flavor of “flamenco for tourists” no matter how hard they try. Flamenco dance is a unipersonal endeavor and the attempt to represent a dialogue...the furtive glances, the footwork duel, the embrace of reconciliation...merely results in a showy display.

Highly polished and professional artists whose vision of contemporary flamenco is seen through the filter of the past

The singers take turns with tangos and Rosario Toledo returns to dance alegrías. This young woman’s dancing is intelligent and original and the precision of her movements reveals many hours of sacrifice in the studio. This alegrías included the traditional sections of “castellana” and “silencio” that most current dancers have dispensed with, but the number is far too long...after the first fifteen minutes it began to feel like an hour. When she finally finished, someone sitting just behind asked his partner if it was still Wednesday.

This is followed by the small mini-work of soleá we saw at the Fiesta de la Bulería on Saturday with violin, double bass and percussion, and here, minus the distractions of that venue, it was quite more appropriate. Valencia’s singing is admirable, Grilo’s flashy, but there’s far more dance than cante and the lack of illumination continues to be annoying.

For the obligatory bulerías fiesta ending the lights are finally pumped up, we get to see the faces, the artists loosen up and we are reminded that flamenco is not always hermetic and cerebral.

Text & photos: Estela Zatania