Sadler’s Wells
July 5, 2023
As part of the London Flamenco Festival, Sara Baras, the worldwide acclaimed Spanish dancer, returned to Sadler’s Wells with Alma (‘soul’), a show directed, scripted, danced and choreographed by herself. Without a doubt, it showed the talent that she has cultivated in her thirty-year career.
Even if you have seen flamenco before, for sure, you have never seen anything like Baras’ flamenco. She is pure energy, a human firework that explodes on stage and lights up every member of the audience.
She has outstanding control of the techniques behind the performed flamenco subtypes. An example was her zapateado, for which she looked like an imperturbable doll as her feet drilled the stage at an amazing speed. Even that came second to the way she embodied the rhythm, sound and movement as one visible entity. She has this duende, the ability to fill the stage with her presence and grace to maintain everyone’s attention on her. We were all lost in her spell.
Photo Sofia Wittert
Alma is formed of a variety of flamenco subtypes including bolero, seguiriya, garrotín, bulería, rumba, caña, soleá and jaleo. This ensures enough range for everyone to find a favourite, and experience energetic and vibrant pieces as well as more serious and tragic ones. IT may have been two hours long but the show felt very short and was not at all monotonous.
Multiple sections incorporated live music. We were specifically delighted by a magnificent saxophone piece by Diego Villegas as well as the emotive voices of Rubio de Pruna and Matías Lopez (‘El Mati’). The dancing ensemble added to the complexity of the evening. There was an amazing synergy between Baras and the musicians as they all cheered for each other.
The vitality was contagious and from the very first second had the audience participating, clapping, shouting encouragingly or tapping to the music’s rhythm. Alma felt more like an invitation to be part of a community rather than just a presentation of dance.
The suggestive lighting by Chiqui Ruiz and the beautiful, elegant dresses by Luis F dos Santos helped create the perfect scene.
Baras wanted Alma to be a hug between flamenco and bolero. It is an explosion of shapes and colours. Alma is a visual representation of how a naked and unrepressed soul experiences feelings. It bursts with life. A delightful performance that sent everyone away with fast beating hearts.