Review: FLAMENCO FESTIVAL at NY City Center is A Stunning Display of Dance

As part of their 80th Season, New York City Center is presenting the exciting Flamenco Festival through Sunday, March 17. This year, the Festival commemorates Vicente Espinel, the inventor of the “Spanish guitar,” which is a fundamental element of flamenco art, and also pays tribute to Paco de Lucía, the guitarist who popularized the instrument.  We had the pleasure of attending the Saturday, March 9th matinee performed by National Ballet of Spain in a spirited, exquisite series of dances that delighted their audience. 

Miguel Marin, Flamenco Festival Artistic Director and Producer, graciously welcomed the audience saying, “Thank you for your love and support.”  He also pointed out that this is the 23rd year of the successful Festival at New York City Center.

Flamenco refers to a form of song or “cante” and dance or “baile” that originated in the southern region of Spain centuries ago. The dance and music are deeply intertwined, and dances are rarely performed without music. National Ballet of Spain, the renowned international company, presented flamenco dance to perfection.

As the curtain rose, the dancers were positioned in colorful, elaborate costumes with castanets in hand to commence their first piece, Jaulena, choreographed by Ruben Olmo.  The second piece in the first act, Eterna Iberia, choreographed by Antonio Najarro, included five fascinating movements. From stunning full company pieces and enticing solos to fascinating duets, the precision, energy, and passion of National Ballet of Spain was on full display. And the dancers’ fabulous rhythmic footwork, that is characteristic of flamenco, was excellently performed.

After a brief intermission, the flamenco dances were accompanied by the music of percussionists, vocalists and guitarists performing live on the stage. The second act commenced with De Lo Flamenco, Tribute to Mario Maya that featured staging by Mariana Ovalle.  This piece made its premiere in March of 2020 at Teatro Villamarta de Jerez in Andalucia Spain. The program continued with a series of dances, each one presenting a unique, stirring viewing experience. Topping off a wonderful afternoon of dance were full company pieces, Suelta el pavo and Undibel with choreography by Mario Maya.  

The seven renowned choreographers whose works were featured in the show include Ruben Olma, Antonio Najarro, Mario Maya, Rafaela Carrasco, A. Rueda Tona, Manolo Marin, and Isabel Bayon.

The ultra-talented dancers that performed at the matinee included Estela Alonso, Carlos Sanchez, Pilar Arteseros, Ana Almagro, Sou Jung Youn, Cristina Aguilera, Adrian Maqueda, Victor Martin, Sergio Valverde, Juan Berlanga, Laura Vargas, Noelia Ruiz, Patricia Fernandez, Sara Arevalo, Maria Martin, Yu-Hsien Hsueh, Manuel Del Rio, Alvaro Gordillo, Axel Galen, Javier Polonio, Antonio Jesus Jimenez, Pedro Ramirez, and Diego Aguilar.

The Flamenco Festival at New York City Center features the best of the best in flamenco with traditional dancing and clever twists on the beloved dance form. The abundant talent of the dancers, outstanding music, fine lighting design, and the array of colorful, beautiful costuming make this an experience to treasure. See a performance of the Festival while you can through Sunday, March 17th.

Coming up at the Flamenco Festival on 3/15 is Olga Pericet in a one-night-only performance of her evening-length work, La Leona. Manuel Liñán returns to direct and perform in the Gala Flamenca from March 16 to March 17 that includes performances from four flamenco superstars.

New York City Center is located at 131 West 55th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues).

For tickets to the Flamenco Festival and upcoming performances at the Center, please visit https://www.nycitycenter.org/.

Photo Credit: Provided by Flamenco Festival at New York City Center

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