XVII Concurso Nacional de Arte Flamenco de Córdoba- Ballet Nacional de España

“Mujeres”. Coreography: Elvira Andrés. Music:
Emilio de Diego y Víctor M. Martín.
“Colores”. Coreography: Elvira Andrés. Music:
Luis Bedmar Encinas.
“Taranto (Ni contigo ni sin ti)”. Coreography: Antonio
Canales. Music: José Antonio Rodríguez.
“Tiempo”. Coreography: Joaquín Grilo. Music:
José Antonio Rodríguez.
Primeros bailarines: Esther Jurado, Óscar Jiménez,
Francisco Velasco. Solistas: Cristina Gómez, Tamara López,
Penélope Sánchez, Mariano Bernal, Jesús Córdoba,
Alberto Ferrero, Jesús Florencio, Sergio García. Cuerpo
de baile: Cristina Aguilera, Sara Alcón, Estíbaliz
Barroso, Jéssica de Diego, Silvia de la Rosa, Eva Gonzalo,
Esmeralda Gutiérrez, Azucena Huidobro, Frida Madro, Virginia
Moro, Estrella Quintanar, Amparo Ruiz, José Manuel Buzón,
Francisco Javier Caravallo, Jaime Cava, David García, José
Carlos García, José Manuel García, Christián
Lozano, Eduardo Martínez, Alfredo Mérida, José
Merino, Jonatán Miró, Pol Vaquero.
Singers: Isabel Soto, Manuel Palacín, Jesús Soto “El
Almendro”. Guitarrists: Enrique Bermúdez, Jonathan
Bermúdez, David Cerreduela “Caracolillo”. Percussion:
Sergio Martínez. Sax and flute: Pedro Ontiveros. Pianists:
Juan Álvarez, Juan José Sánchez.

Absolute competence, elegance,

discipline and professionalism

After the tedious eliminatory phrase of the Concurso Nacional
de Arte Flamenco de Córdoba, the program brought a respite
in the form of a presentation by the Ballet Nacional de España
with four choreographies, two of which were the work of Elvira Andrés,
current artistic director of the BNE, one of Antonio Canales and
another of Joaquín Grilo.

The first two works reflected the classical training of their author.
More dance than ‘baile’, the numerous corps de ballet
and soloists interpreted the various movements with absolute competence,
elegance, discipline and professionalism Admirable attention to
detail as seen in the lighting and staging, the only technical flaw
worthy of mention being the low fidelity of the canned music. Especially
effective was the work “Colores” which, as the title
indicates, employed a wardrobe that served up a banquet of lovely
subdued colors masterfully combined, and a vision halfway between
futuristic and antique, Star Wars meets King Arthur’s Knights
of the Round Table.

After intermission we were treated to a kind of dance that was
rather closer to flamenco, and the first sounds of the guitar, clean,
sweet and lovely, fell upon our ears like water from a refreshing
stream. Antonio Canales’ “Taranto” is a beautiful
dance, lacking in flash but sincere and flamenco, with the unmistakable
mark of its author.

Star Wars meets King Arthur’s

Knights of the Round Table

The fourth and last part of the performance brought Joaquín
Grilo’s choreography “Tiempo” which incorporated
wind instruments and percussion as well as the flamenco voices and
guitars which had provided the background for the previous piece.
The mini-work is a sort of flamenco fantasy in tones of black and
white made up of bulerías, a free-form interlude, some lovely
fandangos de Huelva, tangos and bulerías to wrap up.

Generally speaking, the trick of many dancers moving in perfect
unison becomes tiresome and one longs for someone to stand out,
a star personality to punctuate, contrast and satisfy our desire
to be moved, and this was reflected in the final applause, more
polite than effusive.

Text & Photos: Estela
Zatania