NOCHE FLAMENCO

Opening night for Soledad Barrio & Noche Flamenca’s New York run of Searching for
Goya took place on April 23 at the Joyce Theater. This ferocious, dramatic, and
illustrious show is nothing less than phenomenal.

The work will next embark on a residency at Jacob’s Pillow and as explained by the pillow: Noche Flamenca is the artistic child of Bessie Award-winning dancer and choreographer Soledad Barrio and
her husband, artistic director and choreographer Martín Santangelo. They created the
company in 1993, and since then Noche Flamenca has been a catalyst in expanding
awareness of the culturally rich art form flamenco. Explained by Santangelo himself,
there is a drive “to evoke in them (the audience) the vivid and expansive sea of passion
and emotion that is flamenco.”

Accomplished with flying colors, the audience left the performance Tuesday night with
visions of this passionate art form. Whether it be through the consistent audible
exclamations coming from the audience “¡Ole!” , or the two-part standing ovation that
accompanied the ending of the show, once before the final improvised play, and one
following, awe was evident in the room.

Searching for Goya was created with the jarring artistic works of painter and graphic
artist Francisco de Goya. The evening-length performance of 9 vignettes inspired by
Francisco de Goya’s paintings, drew upon Goya’s ability to bring to life “the horrors of
war, the monsters within us, the humiliation of the humble, and the value of the
strength and sensibility of animals”.

The performance begins with El Sueno De La Razon Produce Monstruos. Audience
members were delighted with the typical sound scores of percussive Flamenco
technique. Tight footwork on a brilliantly mic’d up stage, as well as chair-and-desk
choreography that introduced Flamenco sound via sliding, knuckles, palms, and slaps.
Audience members not only witnessed the audible intricacies of the work, but enjoyed it
in the visual realm through the use of black angel wings. Each percussive sound was
reflected in the shaking of a wing, held by some of the dancers. Eerie but beautiful- a
through line of the show.

The movement tiptoed into contemporary territory, as the brisk flamenco movement
intertwined with elongated lines, and as previously mentioned chair-and-desk
choreography present today outside of the flamenco lens. Comedic timing with haunting
face masks, a dramatic solo lit with a vocalist towering above from stage right,
expectations were blown away. The costuming juxtaposed the typically bright and lavish
flamenco attire, with instead a darker, more muted drama invited to the performance.
There were elements of brightness, just as there were elements of a typical flamenco showing. But the highlight of this show was truly in its ability and proof that Soledad Barrio & Noche Flamenca are pushing boundaries, and doing it with undeniable beauty.

EYE ON THE ARTS, NY — Emma Edy Morris