Review: Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca at The Joyce

The passion of flamenco, the glory of ancient Greece, and ¡duende! The latest program of Noche Flamenca embodies all in their current run through November 9 at the Joyce Theater. Noche Flamenca is Spain's most successful touring company and its greatest exponent of the art of flamenco in both performances and educational programs.

The first act of the program, Noche Flamenca y Antigona, features excerpts from the full-length dance-drama Antigona, choreographed by Martín Santangelo, the company's director. Based on Sophloces' Antigone, it is the story of a woman's quest for a proper burial of her brother, who is viewed by some as a traitor. Antigona merges the Greek tragedy with the traditional dance, song and music of flamenco, along with fully realized characters and a detailed plot. Flamenco and Greek tragedy is a perfect match. There is nothing halfway or indecisive in Greek tragedies. The stories of blood, lust, love, betrayal, murder, death, and the world beyond death take no prisoners in the presentation of full-throttled passion, emotion, and theatrical majesty. This is also true of flamenco.

Santangelo was inspired to tell the story of Antigone after a Spanish news story re-ignited his interest. In 2010, Baltasar Garzón, a Spanish judge, was asked by many people to dig up the remains of their loved ones who had been killed in the Spanish Civil War. They wanted to be able to finally give their loved ones a proper burial. Santangelo consulted with director Lee Breuer of the theater troupe Mabou Mines, along with visual artist Mary Frank, to help him stage Antigona.

Santangelo's staging and choreography are brilliant and innovative in every way. The powerful opening, Guerra de Hermanos, featured David Thomas, a New York-born hip-hop dancer, as Eteocles, pitted against flamenco dancer Salví Rosino as Polyneices in a dangerously exciting dance fight. This number is set against the blistering electric guitar of Hamed Traore, another New York native. The lead vocalists, Pepe "El Bocadillo," Miguel Gago, and Emilio Florido, are all superb. The entire company of singers, musicians and dancers, and the wonderful musical and artistic rapport between them, is magnificent.

Soledad Barrio is Antigona. She "owns" this role with her fierce stage presence, potent acting and soulful (as her first name implies) dancing. Barrio's entire body expresses every human emotion. She is one of the greatest dancers of not only flamenco but any of dance genres. When she begins to dance, her entire body is taken over by the art and she becomes one with the dance and music. She is a goddess of dance. Her beautiful expressive arms and hands, her gorgeous back and fiery footwork are mesmerizing. She also is also blessed with a face that takes the light and holds the viewer spellbound from emotion to emotion like one of the greatest film stars or stage actresses.

Juan Ogalla, as Haemon, exudes powerful masculinity and theatrical brilliance to every seat in the house. His shimmering flamenco technique and his every movement, no matter how decisive or delicate, hold sheer exhilaration and astounding beauty.

It was the second act that showcased these two superb flamenco artists in their mastery of the art form in all its passion and glory. The numbers were all choreographed by Santangelo. On Saturday, November 1st at 2pm, Amanecer was the opening full-company piece. It was simply delightful. In Alegrías, Juan Ogalla, again, set the stage on fire. His final moment of retrieving his jacket from the floor is one of the greatest moments of any theatrical or dance work in the history of theater. Soledad Barrio in Soleá was again riveting, glorious and magnificent. One runs out of superlatives to describe these two great dancers and one should definitely run to see them at the Joyce. Noche Flamenca is what great art should be: exciting, passionate, uplifting, and achingly human. The entire company of Noche Flamenca is everything beautiful that art can offer.

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