Isabel Bayón “La puerta abierta”
Tuesday, 19th september, 2006. 9.00pm. Teatro Central

Special 14th Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla. Reviews, programa, photos...

Text: Estela Zatania

Dance and choreography: Isabel Bayón. Guitar: Jesús Torres. Percussion: Antonio Coronel. Guest artist: Miguel Poveda. Stage direction: Pepa Gamboa.

Another production of the Agencia Andaluza para el Desarrollo del Flamenco was offered Tuesday night at the Teatro Central within the program of the fourteenth Bienal de Sevilla.

Around the nineteen-nineties, flamenco dancers anxious to do something novel in a market that was expanding exponentially, popularized the intellectual conceit of applying flamenco dance to contrivances such as Greek tragedies, international classics, original scripts or Lorca, always a favorite – nothing was sacred, and all too often good dancing was held hostage to good theater. Or worst yet, mediocre dance was dressed up with importance by virtue of often incoherent theatrical elements. “La Puerta Abierta” has some interesting moments, but suffers the wake of that outmoded, pseudo-intellectual fashion.

The fine-honed precision technique of a former child prodigy

If director Pepa Gamboa brought us a revolving door in another production of the Agencia Andaluza, “El Eterno Retorno”, it’s now an open door, “puerta abierta”, at the rear end of the stage that serves at visual focal point throughout the work. Other ingredients include the recorded voices of classic singers Periñaca and Agujetas (lest anyone doubt the artists’ regard for tradition), and the repeated, gratuitous provocation of the dancer who changes costume between numbers directly on stage (did anyone actually notice there was a guitar solo at the same time?)

The fine-honed precision technique of Isabel Bayón, former child prodigy, rather than enriching her performance, keeps her from letting her hair down or taking risks. A martinete and the danced Goldberg Variations come off as warm-up exercises, but when singer Miguel Poveda makes his appearance por soleá, the flamencometer shoots off the graph. In the so-called golden triangle of cante and gypsiness circumscribed by the provinces of Seville and Cádiz (despite the inaugural show of the Bienal where someone forgot to include the Cádiz school), they say Poveda just doesn’t do it like down here, and so it is. The Catalonian has invented a flamenco identity which is absolutely relevant and viable, he’s matured just right and no longer imitates the cante of the lower Guadalquivir but rather interprets it through his own perspective, making use of established forms to build a personal concept, always with the greatest respect for tradition. Bayón dances at the rear of the stage as a footnote, while Poveda sings up front, a curiosity popularized by dancer Andrés Marín who understands that cante is the heart and soul of flamenco.

The singer from Badalona is in his best artistic moment

In the milonga, Poveda again steals the show even with the dancer wearing an elegant strapless black dress and long gloves. After a seamless transition, and public (but decent) change of clothes, alegrías sounds and Isabel dances to Poveda’s tasty singing, one of the few non-Cádiz natives who manages to capture that peculiar flavor. Suddenly the voice of Agujetas interrupts, but the symbolism doesn’t quite come together and the alegrías continues on its merry way.

QPerhaps the most noteworthy moment, if we have to select “the best”, comes, not via flamenco, but in the pasodoble Miguel sings for Bayón. Suddenly they dance together, ballroom style, and the whole theater fills with euphoria at such an endearing sight. The Catalonian’s charisma seems to melt the icy Seville lady and for a few delightful moments you can glimpse what “La Puerta Abierta” might have been.

Once again Periñaca and Agujetas are heard and suddenly the performers are bowing in a brusque, poorly constructed ending that retards the applause. In the fiesta finale without guitar Poveda agains proves the night belongs to him. His bulerías cante is authentic and multidimensional, courtesy of Jerez where the singer had the good taste to rack up first-hand knowledge, and his little dance is full of subtlety and good humor. Without a doubt the singer from Badalona is in his best artistic moment, and good for him for not turning his nose up at singing for dancers as have other star singers.

More information:

Special XIV Bienal de Flamenco. Program, reviews, photos