BWW Reviews: Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca Excite Audiences at the Joyce

Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca are now performing at The Joyce Theater through December 15th. This is the third consecutive year that the company is presenting their highly acclaimed works. Once again, the Joyce audiences are completely captivated.

Flamenco has its roots in the region of Southern Spain with a strong musical tradition from ancient times. Under the artistic direction of choreographer and producer, Martin Santangelo, the display of this culturally significant art form is passionate and intense; a testimony to the deep investment of the performers. It is flamenco at its finest, one that conveys a communal spirit through lively music, dance and song. And while you can expect the company to charm you with their choreographies, there is the unexpected thrill of their improvisation.

We attended the opening night performance on December 3rd. Returning this year are vocalists Manuel Gago and Jose Jimenez joined for the first time ever by two of Spain's most popular, female vocalists, Carmina Cortes and Mayte Maya. The mixed quartet of singers is accompanied by the extraordinary guitarists, Salva de Maria and Eugenio Igesias. The dancers, Soledad Barrio, Juan Ogalla and Antonio Jimenez were in full command of their pieces with dramatic accents to their high-spirited stepping.

This year's program, entitled Sombras Sagradas (Sacred Dreams), consists of solos, duets and group numbers. It includes the world premiere of El Cazador, a duet based on Chekhov's The Huntsman performed Barrio and Ogalla. Barrio is a charismatic dancer who never fails to excite the audience with a mixture of alluring grace and fiery style. Jimenez and Ogalla demonstrate their abundant talents in their solos; Solea por Bulerias performed by Jimenez and Farruca performed by Ogalla.

As a final piece, the full company performed Esta Noche No Es Mia Dia(Tonight Ain't My Day) choreographed by Santangelo. A tribute to the recently deceased former Noche Flamenca member Antonio Vizarraiga, it was an excellent and heartfelt close to the program.

For information about The Joyce Theater and ticketing, please visit their web site at www.joyce.org

Photo Credit: Rachel Roberts

To post a comment, you must register and login.