A gripping, ground-breaking performance
Rocío Molina (left, photo by Felix Vazquez), is at the forefront of modern flamenco, combining flamenco with other dance forms. Last night at Sadler's Wells, as part of the 10th annual Flamenco Festival, she took the stage with the usual almost unassuming manner of flamenco performers, and then took control of the audience. Short in stature and simply dressed - no trace of a frilly frock - and power-packed.
The stage was simply dressed with a tall percussion box drum (or cajón) and an area like a couch, where Rocío turned a costume change into a slow-motion dance tableau, while the guitarist played. In my experieince, dancer and accompanists stay separate, apart from vocal encouragement and comment, but in this show interaction was intimate between dancer and guitarist Eduardo Trassierra, singer José Angel Carmona and palmás by José Manuel Ramos 'Oruco'
All the flamenco moves you may recognise were demonstrated but were combined with contemporary dance elements, at times reminiscent of Asian dance. And several props are used, which become integral to the dance, including a wine glass and bottle which end up shattered. A piece on a dark stage with the only light coming from her tambourine is mesmerising, but for me the show-stopper was the sequence involving the use of an echo machine on the noise of her feet. The layers of sound built and built, with rhythms always perfectly aligned, and perfectly controlled. A standing ovation, and no trace of a frilly frock.
The Flamenco Festival runs until March 27, with tickets from £12 to £40. Click here for performance details and to book
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