FESTIVAL DE JEREZ 2010. MARÍA JOSÉ FRANCO,
‘AL COMPÁS DEL VIENTO’
Festival by festival
Silvia Calado. Jerez, February 27th, 2010
‘Al compás del viento’.
María José Franco:
baile, choreography, idea. Dance corps: Asun Armario,
Natalia López, Julia Acosta. Cante: Luis Moneo,
Carmen Grilo, El Pulga. Guitar: Juan Manuel Moneo,
Pedro Pimentel. Percussion: Carlos Merino. Clapping:
Diego Montoya. Stage director: Francisco Mejías.
14th Festival de Jerez. Teatro Villamarta. Jerez (Cádiz,
Spain), February 27th, 2010. 9 p.m.
Following Festival de Jerez every
year means seeing the artists grow. There are those
who take every step and start out as a member of a
dance corps, then they move up to lead bailaor, then
they premiere as a ‘novísimo’ (up-and-coming
star), next they go solo to La Compañía
and finally, they find the doors of the Teatro Villamarta
open to them. And that is more or less the case of
María
José Franco, who has just overcome that
last step with ‘Al compás del viento’.
There isn’t much difference
between this show and the ones which have been seen
on a smaller scale in previous editions. But some
of them, like ‘De grana y oro’, even seemed
to be more ambitious. In her new show, it seems as
if she marks the boundaries of a tight circle, adopting
the attitude of a mere bailaora to the beat marked
by these latitudes. And it’s perfect if there’s
no self-betrayal. That simplicity in the layout guaranteed
her a show without flaws, but also without risk. Noteworthy,
the meticulous design of the transitions moving three
barefoot girls representing Cádiz style, as
opposed to the ocher sobriety of Jerez.
In a scene only adorned by rush-bottomed
chairs and acclimated by the warm tones of the cyclorama,
the Cádiz-born bailaora’s baile and picture
solos were carried out. She did the introduction in
front of a male circle, dressed in black and weaving
spins por bulerías. She shifted gears and changed
cities in the guajira, dancing a sensual bit with
a fan and a dress with a short train. Then, breathless
tangos without hips. And later on, baile por soleá,
more serene, more developed and with a view to the
four axes. The final baile was por alegrías,
with a bata de cola, white foam and unexpected flimsiness,
with the prelude of the remembrance of Chano
Lobato and the spine-tingling epilogue dedicated
to Fernando Terremoto, both singing from beyond the
grave. All of it was displayed humbly, briefly, and
despite the fact that the pressure might not have
let her tread with complete confidence, that audience
embraced her with their applause, rewarding perhaps
not just the here and now, but also knowing how to
grow step by step, festival by festival.
La
Truco, ‘Pa mis adentros’
Sala Compañía,
7 p.m.
La
Truco opened the Sala Compañía
with a display of her personal know-how.
The Madrilenian bailaora, one of the
most called-upon maestras from the capital,
presented several of the bailes which
she recorded on DVD some time ago at
the Tablao Casa Patas. And in general,
she opted to elaborate on the feminine
as opposed to the footwork, especially
in bailes like the taranto, consisting
of arches, curves and softly treading
the stage. She wanted to share the space,
although they only coincided in the
introduction, with Joaquín Ruiz,
who had a couple of solos and didn’t
make the most of them. At the back,
with three cantaores, percussion, two
guitars and a flute, the harmony endured
and suffered.
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