AFTER their World Cup win, you’d expect the Spanish to be on cloud nine right now, but as the internationally renowned Mi Tierra Flamenca dance company proved, the unquenchable fire in the heart of the nation is still raging.
Based in Jerez de la Frontera, the birthplace of flamenco, the group of singers, dancers and musicians succeeded in presenting a breathtakingly glorious and entertaining show.
Opening with a clap of thunder and the sound of the heavens opening, the dark and dramatic tone was set.
The show’s two principal singers, (Luis ‘El Mondo’ and Coral De Los Reyes) began with a soulful lament, standing on either side of the auditorium and inviting the audience to feel their pain and torment.
Taking their seats at the back of the stage with guitarists Uri Tal and Joni Gimenez, the gut-wrenchingly beautiful dance began.
Like the sudden onslaught of a great storm, the trio of dancers — one woman and two men — burst onto the stage with an effortless energy and exuberance which was immediately captivating.
The hypnotic rhythms of flamenco music, with its delicacy and fiery flares, carried the dancers and the audience on a journey through the tormented night and on until the break of dawn.
The bare stage and simple but effective lighting reflected the dance’s raw and almost primeval energy.
But flamenco is not a crude dance and is an elegant and dignified expression of the human soul.
Dancer Ester Tal seems to full embody the heart thumping passion of flamenco and Kelian Jimenez nearly bursts into flames during a stunning solo in the second half.
However, the dances sometimes suffered from being overly long and at times the spell cast on the audience threatened to wear off.
Nevertheless, Unearthed was a hauntingly powerful spectacle which made the hairs on your neck stand up and give you goosebumps as your heart jumps into your mouth.
For information on future shows at Deptford’s Laban centre in Creekside, call 020 8469 9500 or visit laban.org
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