Mercedes Ruiz “Juncá”
Sunday, September 24th, 2006. 9:00pm. Teatro Alameda

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

Text: Estela Zatania

Dance: Mercedes Ruiz, Antonio Molina “El Choro”, El Nano. Guitar: Santiago Lara, Javier Ibáñez. Cante: David Palomar, Londro, Jesús Méndez. Piano: Jesús Lavilla. Percussion: Perico Navarro.

A refreshing dose of flamenco dance as seen through the perspective of Jerez woman Mercedes Ruiz from the “plazuela” district was the offering on Sunday at the Bienal de Sevilla. A traditional take on flamenco without being outdated...stylized and contemporary without extraneous elements. It’s not an easy equilibrium to acheive.

Winner of the “Antonio Gades” prize at the next to last Córdoba contest, and the prize for young artists at the Bienal de Sevilla in 2002, Mercedes has returned four years after that triumph, more temperamental, more outgoing and a more mature woman.

Graceful, expressive armwork, fascinating contorsions

Paquera’s famous cry, “Ali ali ali andaaaa…!” that sounds from off-stage (the amplification of the Teatro Alameda leaves a lot to be desired), situates us in Jerezland, San Miguel pavillion, “the neighborhood where I was born, birthplace of great artists, seed of the cante of Manuel Torre and Antonio Chacón, the driving force behind “La Faraona” Lola Flores and compás transformed into voice in Paquera” as the dancer declares proudly in the program notes. In addition to wine, horses and flamenco, what Jerez natives possess, above all else, is a profound sense of identity.

Even so, Mercedes Ruiz’ dancing is highly personal. Jerez has a style of guitar-playing and an unmistakable style of cante, however, unlike Sevilla or Granada, there’s no clearly identifiable style of dance. Perhaps for this reason, Mercedes seeks inspiration in the postures and accelerations of Carmen Amaya, the forms of Eva Yerbabuena, with whom she worked at length, or the contemporary line of Andrés Marín in whose group she also danced. Inspiration without imitation. She has the good taste to adapt her dancing to her very slim form with graceful, expressive armwork and fascinating contorsions. She knows how to trigger applause with machine-gun footwork, practically the only commercial concession. Her command of the bata de cola is noteworthy. If other young dancers, for whom the bata is more an annoyance than a lovely accessory, hop, skip and jump to avoid stepping on the clump of ruffles, Mercedes moves the bata as an extension of her body.

More temperamental, more outgoing, a more mature woman

In tonás, supported by the discreet percussion of Perico Navarro, the Jerez woman wore a flattering olive green velvet dress and her dancing was strong and decisive, full of shading. The two male dancers are admirable in the bulería por soleá done to a clippy bulerías rhythm. Dancer Antonio “El Choro” and singer Jesús Méndez with his Paquera cantes are noteworthy. Mercedes returns with an electric red bata (it seems to be officially the fashion, this is the fourth one in just ten days of Bienal, counting Susi’s, Pastora Galván’s and Belén Maya’s), in a tribute to Lola Flores in the form of a Caracol-type zambra done to piano.

Mercedes also knows the importance of high-quality back-up. Without being superstars, young singers David Palomar, Londro and Jesús Méndez are solid professionals who love what they do, and their cante oozes knowledge and flavor. In the soleá Mercedes interprets with the aplomb of a major star, guitarist Santiago Lara makes wonderful use of an absolutely novel tuning which gives added dimension charged with drama – the evolution of flamenco takes place, not in great brush-strokes but via such small details.

Some circumstantial negative points: the excessively grim lighting, the long segments without dance that get the audience fidgeting, the deficient sound system and the down-time between numbers. But generally speaking, “Juncá” is a discreet and serious show that serves to showcase this young dancer whose star is on the rise.

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Special XIV Bienal de Flamenco. Program, reviews, photos