VIII Festival de Jerez – 7 de marzo. Nuevo Ballet Español – Romeo y Julieta

Dance: Ángel Rojas, Carlos Rodríguez,
Jesús Carmona, Iván Martín, Mayte Bajo, Cristina
de Vega, Gemma Morado, Mara Rey, Esther Esteban. Guest artist:
Chevi Muraday. Guitar: Gaspar Rodríguez,
Antonio Rey. Violonchelo: Nicasio Moreno. Flute: Elisa de la Torre.
Percussion: Sudhi. Cante: Mara Rey. Juan
Suárez. Piano: Pablo Suárez. Choreography:
Carlos Rodríguez. Arrangements and music director: Pablo
Suárez. Script: Guillermo Pisani, Carlos Rodríguez.

Of
the various parallel activities included in the Festival de Jerez,
the series called “Gloria pura” offered at the Museo
Taurino has a lot going for it. The chance to hear good cante and
guitar by top professionals in a charming and intimate setting,
without amplification or crowds, complimentary sherry included is…”gloria
pura” (‘sheer heaven’). On Sunday, singer Fernando
de la Morena delighted a truly international audience speaking to
them in his own peculiar language, eyes wide open as is his custom,
por soleá, fandangos, siguiriya, taranto and bulerías
with Antonio Carrasco accompanying.

Angel Rojas

Over at the Villamarta Theater, finally a well-conceived work with
flamenco dance and song, coherent music and apt staging at the service
of the presentation. Part of the merit, without a doubt, can be
attributed to William Shakespeare, but the constant sprinkling of
applause, never merely polite, was exclusively for this youthful
group.

An entertaining tragedy without pretensions.

The non-flamenco music blended perfectly with the flamenco, the
modern dance segments were not annoying and the wild dance of the
monk who gives Juliet the potion, complements the magic contained
in the little bottle.

Refreshing alegrías by three men and a down-home fiesta
por bulería. The tense confrontation between the two families
is well-represented with siguiriyas and the illusion of Juliet’s
spirit rising from her sleeping body to dance with a dying Romeo
is beautiful.

Special mention for Mara Rey for her warm natural voice, her good
flamenco dancing and the ease with which she interpreted a man’s
part without surrendering her female identity.

You
know it went down as flamenco when the audience asks for a bulerías
finale in the last bow. An entertaining tragedy without pretensions.

A more conventional type of flamenco of high quality was presented
afterwards at the Sala de la Compañía by Rafael Campallo
with a dream team that included his sister, dancer Adela Campallo
and the singing of two of today’s best young cantaores, José
Valencia and David Lagos. At the peña Sordera later on, we
were treated to more first-class flamenco singing with Joaquín
el Zambo.

Bulerías finale at the Museo Taurino

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