Gala Flamenca

Sadler’s Wells, London
July 15, 2023

This year’s Flamenco Festival Gala Flamenca was a dazzling display of showmanship, albeit a performance that lacked clear structure.

The performance began with an ensemble piece: the musicians, singers, and dancers lining up in a row to welcome the audience to the upcoming numbers before slowly rearranging themselves amongst chairs in an arc, creating a miniature stage in the centre.

The guitarists strummed chansons throughout the evening that beautifully framed the dancing and singing, and that enlivened the stage. Of notable mention was the percussionist, whose hearty rhythms reverberated throughout the auditorium and added a rich timbre to the rapping pulses of the flamenco shoes onstage.

Very quickly, the gala was off to a dynamic start as duos and trios of flamenco dancers teased the audience with brief glimpses of virtuosity. Each astounded the audience with unique characteristics, but I was unable then (as I am now) to associate faces with names. While the programme gave a brief description of the celebrated dancers, it was impossible for the newcomer to recognise everyone.

This was but one evening of the Flamenco Festival that showcased Manuel Liñan, the ‘headline’ name, who has performed at Sadler’s Wells several times but it was the first soloist, Alfonso Losa, who was the most remarkable performer of the evening. His solo followed a series of duo and trio numbers that asserted the group’s mastery of flamenco (dance and music).

Losa’s charismatic presence quickly engrossed the audience. His extended dance was ablaze with rapid, vivacious sequences as his zapateado rang out from the stage, as quick as the percussionist’s rhythmic dictation. Every strike was executed with commandeering poise and complete control, and the audience reacted quite enthusiastically.

Unfortunately, the energy was not maintained throughout the evening. A number of languorous melodies cooled the electric atmosphere his flash-hot solo created, filling the midsection of the performance. The performance started to stretch a bit until the dancers returned to the arc of chairs that opened the night.

Liñan reappeared near the end in a voluptuous flamenco skirt, performing with just as much gusto and dexterity as he exhibited in the previous numbers.

Carrete de Málaga graced the performance’s end in a white suit that spotlighted his strong presence. The last third of the performance had a renewed surge of energy that the audience clearly enjoyed.

The sound amplification, intended to highlight the dancers’ zapateado, rendered the percussion and vocals slightly jarring throughout, however. While I left appreciative of the evening and performers, it was with ears ringing.

Spanning approximately ninety minutes, without intermission or a clear structure, the performance felt slightly like a mish-mash of sequences compressed to fit the run time. Although I enjoyed the intermixing of exhilarating shows of flamenco footwork with calmer moments highlighting the nuanced artistry of flamenco music, it was difficult to comprehend the programme as a whole. At some points I wondered when Carrete de Malaga would appear and project colourful flashes of enthusiasm, or how the differing numbers tied together.

Apart from removing some of the guesswork regarding who each dancer was, some clearer framing in the programme would have made things more comprehensible, and would have illuminated the intention behind the ordering, thus optimising the brilliance of the performers that graced the stage.