BWW Reviews: SESSIONS 2014: FLAMENCO ARETI Brings a Stylish Art Form to Adelaide Audiences

Reviewed Saturday 18th January 2014

Flamenco Dance Areti is the school, and Flamenco Areti is the performance ensemble, both headed by the highly skilled and internationally respected dancer, Areti Boyaci. Flamenco Areti is the latest group to appear as part of the Sessions 2014 series in the Space Theatre at the Adelaide Festival Centre and a sold out performance attests to both the popularity of Flamenco in Adelaide and the very high standard of this group.

Flamenco is a combination of four elements: cante (singing), toque (guitar playing), baile (dance), and palmas (handclapping). More recently the South American percussion instrument, the cajon, a wooden box with wire snares inside to add a buzzing to the rhythm, has become a common addition to the music, although it was not used in this performance.

This performance had two excellent guitarists in Werner Newman and Kieren Ray, with the exciting voice of special guest, Antonio Soria. The dancers took turns as the palmas, highlighting the complex rhythms and counter-rhythms.

Areti Boyaci was joined by two other internationally acclaimed top flight dancers, Rosalie Cocchiari-Thomas, and the only male dancer for the evening, Tomás Arroquero as well as members of her own team: Monika Hatcher, Cat Smith, Bree Bennett, Catherine Ziersch, and Hayley Kollevris.

Andalusia, in southern Spain, is considered the home of Flamenco, but its roots go further. It can be traced back to northern India to a form of dancing involving rhythmic footwork, and music bearing considerable resemblance to that of Flamenco. This was brought by the Romani to southern Spain where it was transformed, both the music and the dance, into the Flamenco we know today. Flamenco often tells a story, usually more dark than cheery, with themes of death, as well as love. It is far more than just a dance form.

Although many would recognise it for the fast heel tapping and the stylish, elegant movements, there is far more to Flamenco, with dances coming in numerous tempi and rhythms, and with a range of stories being told. This is where the rhythm is really brought to the fore as the dancers twist and turn, rapping out complex patterns, and creating patterns in the air with the flow of their arms and hands, as well as fans and shawls.

We were treated to solos, duos, and ensembles in greatly varied forms, with modern influences as well as strong links to traditional Flamenco. It was not all about the dancing though, as we were given the opportunity to focus on the music with a guitar duet in the first half, and guitars with voice in the second half. This was a good way to place focus on the importance of the music behind the dance and emphasise the fact that it is more than just an accompaniment. It is a vital part of the performance, relating intimately to the dancing.

The dance itself, of course, is what most people expect to see, and there was plenty of it. This was a fully packed two hours of the finest flamenco, full of passion, sexuality, poignancy, and more. Every movement of the dancers conveyed a story, an emotion, an idea, and with the greatest of expertise. As for the ensemble work, precision was far and away the tightest that I have seen. Sparks flew during the duo pieces, and the special international guests, Tomás Arroquero and Rosalie Cocchiaro, were the cherry on the cake.

Huge applause throughout the evening was nothing compared to the applause at the end of the performance, signalling another worthwhile and very popular choice for the Sessions 2014 season. There are more performances to come, so have night out, or several, and enjoy a drink and a dance in the Space soon.

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