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‘ANTONIO
GADES. 50 YEARS OF SPANISH DANCE’ GALA
The crossing goes on
Silvia Calado. Madrid, September 2nd,
2005
Antonio Gades, 50 años de danza española
(Antonio Gades, 50 Years of Spanish Dance). Antonio
Gades Company: ‘Carmen’, ‘Bodas
de sangre’ (‘Blood Weddings’), ‘Fuenteovejuna’.
Sara Baras: farruca. Manolete:
alegrías. Aída Gómez:
‘Silencio rasgado’ (‘Broken Silence’).
Zarzuela Theater. Madrid, September 2nd, 2005.
Antonio Gades Company (Photo:
Fundación Antonio Gades)
One year after Antonio Gades' ship sailed
no more, his memory is revived. The foundation watching over
his legacy organized a tribute on the night of September 2nd
at Madrid's Zarzuela Theater which included the official presentation
of the Antonio Gades Company, performances by several of his
colleagues and the touching words of his maestra Pilar López.
“Antonio's masterful talent is boundless; it's impossible
to measure. He was a dancer of the top Spanish school and
a bailaor with a style of his own. He was a monster, as people
say in street terms”. La Argentinita's sister finished
by dancing and with a “see you soon”. Next, it
was time for dance.
The gala inserted scenes from three shows by Gades -‘Carmen’,
‘Bodas de sangre’ and ‘Fuenteovejuna’-,
with performances by Manolete, Aída Gómez, Sara
Baras and singer-songwriter Paco Ibáñez, who
replaced El Lebrijano. Although said structure broke up the
atmosphere of the revived choreographies, the splendor of
shows was brought back diminished neither by time nor the
absence of their creator. Surprising was Adrián
Galia's ability to play the roles formerly performed by
the maestro, leaving chilling pictures on stage with a striking
resemblance. The performance by Stella Arauzo - baile maestra
of the re-founded company - in the role of the Sevillian cigarette
seller was also heartrending. And overall, with an impeccable
attitude, the company managed to pull off the now legendary
way of staging Spanish dance and flamenco which Gades did.
Antonio Gades Company (Photo:
Fundación Antonio Gades)
The guests' performances were unequal. The greatest ovation
went to Sara
Baras, with an intimate revision of the farruca from ‘Sueños’
(‘Dreams’), decked out in a short dress. Accompanied
by José María Bandera on guitar and José
Amador on violin, the Cádiz-born bailaora danced elegantly
and sure of herself, conscious of the tribute. And she wasn't
afraid to bare her movements and heel tapping in broad silence
which thrilled the crowd. Manolete, dressed in a white suit,
danced his now traditional alegrías. And Aída
Gómez, also wearing trousers, put together a hybrid
of styles to dance a piece by Jorge Pardo which ended up in
no-man's land and was weakened by Sara Baras' powerful performance.
Singer-songwriter Paco Ibáñez, replacing cantaor
El Lebrijano, also paid tribute to the bailaor, to whom he
dedicated a sung poem by Jorge Manrique. In the seats, great
names of Spanish baile and dozens of fans attended the tribute.
Freedom, work, discipline, genius … were also there
on an evening where absence became presence.
Antonio Gades Company (Foto:
Fundación Antonio Gades)
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