2005 JEREZ FESTIVAL. JOSÉ PORCEL: ESPARTACO / FROM PEÑA TO PEÑA

Annoyance

Silvia Calado. Jerez, March 6th, 2005

‘Espartaco’. Ballet Flamenco José Porcel. Espartaco (Spartacus): José Porcel. Frigia: Celia Pareja. Nabilio: Francisco Velasco. Efigenia: Elena Martín. Graco: Javier Palacios. Craso: Julio Príncipe. Bailaora: Leticia Calatayud. Bailaor: Josue Vivancos. Choreography, costume design, artistic direction: José Granero. Original score: Emilio de Diego, Víctor M. Martín. Villamarta Theater. Jerez (Cádiz, Spain), March 6th, 2005. 9 p.m.

	Ballet Flamenco José Porcel (photo: Daniel Muñoz)

The Jerez Festival reaches day ten with a blowout in the program. The Villamarta Theater opened its doors to dancer José Porcel's show ‘Espartaco’, which was endorsed by José Granero, author of ‘Medea’. The work attempts to tell the story of the Roman gladiator who rebels against oppression - already told by the cinema and ballet -, changing it a notch by situating it in Nazism and with a mixed style of ballet, flamenco and theater. No other previous day had the venue in Jerez ended up so cold and so empty, since more than a few people left the theater. The show was neither captivating for its storyline, nor its baile, nor its dramatic art. It tiptoes over everything, especially the flamenco... which only appears in the company's name. The music insistently takes the seguiriya as the rhythm, but seguiriyas aren't danced. And striking the floor with your feet isn't flamenco. Nor does ballet appear, nor do the characters manage to get anything across. The audience's annoyance was so thick you could cut it with a knife. There amidst the crowd in the theater you could hear a group of course-goers commenting that they felt cheated... by course-goers, without understanding why they couldn't enjoy ‘Fuera de los límites’ by Belén Maya and Rafaela Carrasco, due to the insignificant seating capacity of Sala Compañía, where it was relegated for being experimental.

Peña life

Thank goodness the night wasn't yet a total loss. Besides bailaoras Alicia Márquez and Soraya Clavijo at Sala Compañía, the ‘From Peña to Peña’ series allows intimate flamenco to be experienced every late night. Last night it was the Sordera Peña's turn, located right in the middle of the Santiago quarter. From early on, the cozy joint was full of a crowd of locals and outsiders in the mood for cante. The young cantaor Jesús Méndez - who took part in the show ‘Jerez Puro’ - and guitarist Diego de Morao - who performed solo a few days ago at Palacio de Villavicencio - were the stars on the bill. They split the performance into two parts; both of which were of course finished off by Santiago-style bulerías and senseless clappers. With the oil painting of the Sorderas presiding over the stage, they warmed up with alegrías and a review of mining cantes. The ‘alianda’ of La Paquera introduced fandangos which also recalled Luis de la Pica and Sordera.

Jesús Méndez and Diego del Morao (photo: Daniel Muñoz)

The second half clearly revealed the hold of this cantaor with an echo full of character. He sang the soleá with poise and weight, flanked by a guitar that is becoming essential in accompaniment to cante. Moraíto Chico's son, signed up by Paco de Lucía, has just taken part in the album by La Tana and other great hits of the record season such as ‘No hay quinto malo’ by Niña Pastori and ‘Confí de fuá’ by José Mercé. Good taste and music dot his performance, although this was not his night. The seguiriya ran deep. The olés finished off each pass, firing up the neighborhood atmosphere, which was more than ripe for the bulería. It is completely recommendable to plunge into the heart of the Jerez peñas... and not just these days, but throughout the year.

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