Compañía de El Güito. “Mis Recuerdos” Dedicated to Doña Pilar López Villamarta Theater, Jerez de la Frontera. Monday, March 8th, 2004. 9:00pm

Dance: Eduardo Serrano El Güito, María Vivó, Eliécer Truco, La Popi, Begoña Castro, María Martín, Rafael Peral, Isaac de los Reyes, Raúl Ortega, Niño de los Reyes. Cante: José Jiménez, Leo Triviño, Antonio El Ciervo. Guitar: Felipe Maya, Basilio García, Leo de Aurora. Violín: David Moreira.

The generation of dancer Eduardo Serrano ‘El Güito’ was a time of change and renovation for flamenco. Even before Camarón de la Isla and Paco de Lucía had begun their journey into the future, Güito was setting new precedents with a style of dance that was controlled, masculine, extremely minimalist and ascribing to an aesthetic that shunned all superficiality. We also loved him for his bulerías songs which served as a break from all the seriousness, and his version of ‘Echame a mí la culpa’ which became a classic recorded on record and film in the nineteen-sixties, was heard in all the tablaos of the era.

That was nearly a half-century ago, but the Madrid dancer continues to enjoy a faithful following, and the fame he so rightfully earned. So it was a big disappointment for fans who filled the Villamarta theater Monday night March 8 to see Güito’s show. It’s not that he’s physically diminished – in fact, he looks quite good and dances with relative strength – but times have changed, a message we are daily bombarded with by the new generation. Güito’s dance is frozen in time, not so much technically, because we don’t expect him to duplicate Farruquito’s feats, but choreographically. Because male dancers no longer exit swinging their jackets above their heads, nor are ‘llamadas’ used in the same way, nor do footwork passages build up to a frenzied tempo.

Complicated steps carried out by
the group with absolute precision

So precisely this ‘time tunnel’ effect shoots down the reasoning of those who defend the so-called “new flamenco”. Güito’s outmoded dance shows just how much traditional flamenco has evolved, and how it continues to evolve, from Farruquito and his bunch, Antonio el Pipa, El Grilo, Javier Barón or Canales, to Manolete or Mario Maya, the same age as Güito and who have managed discreet evolution within their own classic styles.

Despite their youth, the corps de ballet comes off even worse. An attempt is made to capitalize on complicated steps carried out by the group with absolute precision, something Güito and Mario Maya used to great effect when they danced together years ago. But im-precision is the order of the day, either because the dancers are under-rehearsed or lack professionalism, hard to know which, but whatever the reason, Güito is the only one to be held responsible, just as he is answerable for the group choreographies which lack interest and give the impression of watching a dance class.

Nostalgia is a very strong draw, but the title of this work was taken far too literally. Eduardo, “Sabes mejor que nadie que me engañaste...”

Text : Estela Zatania

Theater Villamarta Program
De Peña en Peña Program: Trasnoches, De Peñas, Peña de Guardia
Other shows(Gloria Pura, Bordón y cuenta nueva, De la Frontera, Café Cantante, Sólos en Compañía)
Courses and workshops

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