Text: Sara Arguijo
Photos: Adam Newby
Debut performance of “6Zapatos” with Soraya Clavijo & Mercedes de Córdoba & Lucía La Piñona at Seville's Jueves Flamencos Cajasol
The many forms of flamenco
Title: ‘6Zapatos’ Elenco: Original idea, choreography, director, dance: Soraya Clavijo, Mercedes de Córdoba, Lucía Álvarez ‘La Piñona’. Cante: Juan José Amador, Pepe de Pura and Moi de Morón. Guitar: Juan Campallo, José Luis Medina. Percussion: Jorge Pérez ‘El Cubano’. Series: Jueves Flamencos de Cajasol. Venue: Sala Chicarreros de Sevilla. Attendance: one third.
Intense, energetic and impetuous. That's a description of the “6Zapatos” (six shoes), debuted by dancers Soraya Clavijo, Mercedes de Córdoba and Lucía Álvarez on Thursday in the Seville series of Cajasol, which showed the various forms of flamenco acquired in each of its paths.
The show's objective was none other than to exhibit the various styles that characterize each of these three dancers, despite their being from the same generation and coming from similar backgrounds. Which is why, from the first number, all the way through to the closing soleá, passing through cantiñas, each time these women were on stage, the audience applauded what each one had to offer. The elegance of La Piñona, the intensity of Mercedes, the sobriety of Soraya…which was what they developed in each of their solo dances, serrana, taranto and martinete respectively.
In this way, ‘6Zapatos’ offered the opportunity to observe the virtues that situated each of these dancers at the forefront, without any need to make comparisons. Although on this occasion, the power and passion of Córdoba beat the natural approach of Jimena de la Frontera and the sobriety and precision of Jerez.
It was a shame there were sound problems, an overly dense content and the lack of an artistic director who could have given greater coherence, and added interest to what might have been a much more satisfying show. Perhaps it was an excess of enthusiasm to make a statement of accumulated intent. In any case, this is the best sort of defect. And needless of say, the three dancers gave their all.
