Review: SOLERA, Paco Peña Flamenco Dance Company, Sadler’s Wells
Elliot Franks
Solera is described by musical director, Paco Peña, as “the ancient system of wine growing” where “wine is nurtured in tiers of oak barrels, young juice entering the process in the top tier and through the passage of time […] travels down to the bottom-most barrels”. Indeed, the Paco Peña Flamenco Dance Company’s show, Solera aims to celebrate that synthesis between the young and old, learning and growing from each other producing a performance with the elegance of the fine wine Peña takes inspiration from.
With strong direction from Jude Kelly, act one is bookended by the simple yet effective act of dancers, musicians and singers (the essential ingredients of flamenco) commuting to their rehearsal, absorbed in their digital devices and completely solo. Yet upon arrival into the flamenco rehearsal space, they become unified and joyous, emanating life force.
The first act is an interesting concept, as the Sadler’s Wells stage is stripped back to its bare bones, as we join the entire ensemble in a ‘rehearsal room’ setting as they explore the genre of flamenco with dazzling solo performances (with a particularly impressive restless-spirited yet perfectly precise routine from Gabriel Matias) stunning guitar solos and moments of emotive singing from singers Immaculada Rivero and Iván Carpio. Peña is joined by guitarists Dani de Morón and Rafael Montilla and their tender, yet electric music bewitches audiences and is seen as the inspiration to the dancers.
Whilst the concept of peaking inside the rehearsal room is promising, there isn’t a clear ‘story’ or throughline to the piece which can cause audience’s attention to wane a little in the first act. The second act of Solera arguably offers a more ‘typical’ night of flamenco entertainment, with impassioned routines and dramatic lighting design from Tom Wickens.
There are invigoratingly modern routines (fantastically choreography by Fernando Romero) that the trio of dancers perform with awe-inspiring accuracy and the music indeed seems to ripple through their bodies and connect them to the spirit of flamenco. A spellbinding tango entitled Pasión from the uber-talented Angel Muñoz and Adriana Bilbao tells a story of resistance and desire through immaculate movements. Each musician continues to master his craft, with a rousing percussion solo by Julio Alcocer that celebrates the heartbeat of flamenco.
The idea of older generations passing on the tradition of flamenco, is beautifully illustrated during the curtain call, as singer Immaculada Rivero hitches up her skirt and begins to demonstrate traditional flamenco technique to the audience and the dancers. However, it would have been great to see more of Rivero passing on her knowledge to the younger Adriana Bilbao to mirror the relationship that Angel Muñoz has with Gabriel Matias and indeed Paco Peña displays to his fellow guitarists.
This is a show that honours the history of flamenco, while promising its exciting future.
**** Four Stars
Reviewed by Nancy Brie
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