2004 JEREZ FLAMENCO FESTIVAL
New Spanish Ballet. Rafael Campallo

Heads and tails

Silvia Calado. Jerez, March 7th, 2004
Photos: Daniel Muñoz
Translation: Joseph Kopec

Artist credits. 'Romeo and Juliet'. New Spanish Ballet. Dancers: Ángel Rojas, Carlos Rodríguez, Jesús Carmona, Iván Martín, Mayte Bajo, Cristina de Vega, Gemma Morado, Mara Rey, Esther Esteban. Guest artist: Chevi Muraday. Guitar: Gaspar Rodríguez, Antonio Rey. Cello: Nicasio Moreno. Flute: Elisa de la Torre. Percussion: Sudhi. Cante and baile: Mara Rey. Cante: Juan Suárez. Piano, arrangements and musical direction: Pablo Suárez. Choreography: Carlos Rodríguez. Script: Guillermo Pisani and Carlos Rodríguez. Direction: Ángel Rojas, Carlos Rodríguez. Villamarta Theater. Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz, Spain), March 7th, 2004. 9 p.m.

Nuevo Ballet Español

Baile showed two of its faces on the tenth night of the festival, two opposite faces. At the Villamarta Theater, New Spanish Ballet presented 'Romeo and Juliet'. At Sala La Compañía, Rafael Campallo danced flamenco. Another one on literature. Ángel Rojas and Carlos Rodríguez's company staged the aged romantic drama by Shakespeare, using flamenco, flamencoized, classical and contemporary dancing as the expressive vehicle. The connecting thread is the musical, a little flamenco of explanatory lyrics with a lot of choruses, a lot of piano and a lot of percussion, all of it performed live. Although this project has been called "risky and impudent", it gives the impression that it has neither avoided nor wanted to avoid the big cliché. In fact, the show works as a musical suitable for all audiences, well-illuminated, well-explained scenically, with good performers, but without further merit. This work does not do justice to that innovative disposition that always accompanies this ballet. The show was understood by the crowd, who even asked for a grand finale.

The other side of the night's coin was the recital that Rafael Campallo offered at the former Jesuit church, with Adela Campallo as guest artist. The Sevillian bailaor outdid himself, demonstrating that he is definitely a young baile figure to be reckoned with. The audience apparently had no doubt about it, by the looks of the 'sold out' sign that had been hanging at the box office for several days and the warm ovation he was rewarded with. The Sevillian bailaor, seconded on cante by David Lagos and José Valencia, showed how to dance like a man without tricks or affectation, how to apply an impeccable, complex technique to esthetic moving around that makes sense, how to dance to the music clipping and stopping time, how to introduce oneself on stage in an elegant, modern way without a disguise. The entire cast makes the sign of the cross in the sacred place before getting started. Rafael Campallo's recital begins with a seguiriya shared with his sister, both sober, sure, with clean shapes, one of a woman and the other of a man. He connects with the farruca, which he resolves with esthetics, refinement, traces. She takes over with a soleá through bulerías, dazzling with her curve, her straightness, her face and her strong woman manners. The bailaor returns with a taranto, without skimping on time, choreographic development or resources. Alone, naked. And he collects himself through tangos, that style which men do not always know how to handle... which is not the case here. There is still more to give. Following the malagueña by David Lagos - which brings back memories of that sublime one he sang for Rafaela Carrasco a few days earlier -, the bailaor goes on giving his right arm on stage through bulerías this time. (He may have consciously avoided the so many alegrías he has so well been generous with on stage). Without breaking the string, with the entire company in a circle, the icing on the cake. Artistic grand finale. Next year at the Villamarta, OK?

Of borders and toque

The round-table at Bodega de San Ginés hosted the début of two different projects. On the one hand, French dancer Erika la Quica presented 'Imprévisibles', the show inaugurating the 'De la frontera' ('Border') series. The artist explained that her company "uses flamenco style and applies it to an imaginary world that draws on the theater of the absurd and other body languages". Erika noted that "I try to develop all the qualities of the dancers who know dance and flamenco, taking it to another place: the flamenco that I imagine". Moreover, she spoke about the difficulties encountered by those who approach flamenco from the outside and defended that "flamenco is an art form that touches people universally". On the other hand, journalist Ángel Álvarez Caballero presented his latest book, 'El toque flamenco'. With this essay, the author culminates his trilogy on the history of flamenco, including the titles 'El baile flamenco' and 'El cante flamenco'. Three musts for the library of every real enthusiast.

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