XV BIENAL DE FLAMENCO DE SEVILLA. ‘MUJERES’ Merche Esmeralda, Belén Maya y Rocío Molina

XV BIENAL DE FLAMENCO DE SEVILLA

‘MUJERES’
Merche Esmeralda, Belén Maya y Rocío Molina
Program (PDF)
13th SEPTEMBER – Teatro Maestranza – 20:30 horas

SPECIAL BIENAL DE FLAMENCO DE SEVILLA 2008

Text: Gonzalo Montaño Peña
Photos: Archivo Bienal de Flamenco – Luis Castilla

Dance: Merche Esmeralda, Belén Maya and Rocío Molina. Guitar: José Luís Rodríguez, Paco Cruz, Manuel Cazás. Cante: Antonio Campos, Jesús Corbacho, Tamara Tañé. Percussion: Sergio Martínez. Director: Mario Maya.

A true work of art was presented at Seville’s Maestranza theater.  “Mujeres” highlights three female dancers, from three distinct generations.  Three ways of understanding flamenco dance, in perfect harmony.  The hand of director Mario Maya, is clearly present in this carefully constructed work.

The show began ten minutes late, possibly due to some technical problem, because when it finally got under way, the sound was defective and was not corrected until the second number.

But the audience came to have a good time, because it was known in advance that this was worthwhile, and so it was.  At many moments during the show, emotion reached a peak felt throughout the entire theater.

One excellent moment came with tangos de Granada which Belén Maya danced with strength and graceful gypsy movements.  It was like seeing the union of Sacromonte and India.

Another wonderful moment came shortly afterwards with soleá, where the great Merche Esmeralda pulled out the swan she carries inside, to strut around the stage, working the long train of her dress as if it were the most important thing in life, arching her back like a flexible wire.

Then there was the siguiriya to present Rocío Molina, dressed in basic black.  The Málaga dancer took over the entire stage, moving with absolute command and seeming to leave a trail of light with each arm movement.  Although she is physically small, in the siguiriya she seemed to grow and grow until the stage around her became small.

These three individual moments would reach their culmination in a group dance of the three women, each with bata de cola.  Red was the dominant color, and the sound was caracoles, with perfect symmetry, an equilateral triangle.

Three generations and three different styles, no lack of harmony.