Rafael Amargo bases himself
on Lorca’s ‘Teoría del duende’ in
his new show ‘La difícil sencillez’
The show, co-directed by Pilar Távora, is on the
bill from August 20th to September 20th, 2009 at the Teatros
del Canal in Madrid
S.C./ Flamenco-world.com, August 2009
Rafael Amargo returns to Lorca.
Not to the poet, but rather the lecturer. The Granada-born
artist begins with ‘Juego y teoría del duende’
(‘Game and Theory of Duende’), a lecture Federico
delivered in Buenos Aires in 1933, as the base for his new
show ‘La difícil sencillez’. He figures
as director and choreographer of the new project, sharing
the stage and dramatic art directing with Pilar Távora.
The crew also includes José Luis Montón and
Juan Parrilla as musical directors, Manuel Molina as guest
artist and Francis Montesinos as wardrobe designer, plus
some ten dancers and ten musicians live. The show, which
premieres August 20th to September 20th, 2009 at the Teatros
del Canal in Madrid, is “a very flamenco-style turn”.
Rafael Amargo, 'La difícil
sencillez' (Photo Daniel Muñoz) |
Rafael Amargo, 'La difícil
sencillez' (Photo Daniel Muñoz) |
“I consider myself Lorca-style”.
Rafael Amargo finished off the presentation to the press
of his new show, ‘La difícil sencillez’,
with this statement. And the thing is that seven years after
creating his successful ‘Poeta en Nueva York’,
the Granada-born artist has once again been inspired by
Federico García Lorca. The difference is that instead
of resorting to his verses, on this occasion he bases himself
on the lecture ‘Juego y teoría del duende’
which the writer gave in Buenos Aires and Havana in 1933.
From the dancer’s point of view, the text is “very
difficult to perform because it’s not a dramatic work,
but rather a lecture”.
Pilar Távora, who he shares the
stage and dramatic art directing with, adds that they base
themselves “on Lorca’s idea that drama is of
no use if there’s no emotion”. And although
everything revolves around the inexplicable concept of ‘duende’,
she readily admits that “it only appears if it wants
to”. An idea which in the show is highly linked to
that of death, which “is spoken of without paraphernalia”.
She thinks that with this focus “Rafael Amargo is
going to dance differently, since he’s starting to
feel Andalusia a different way. In this show there’s
his truth, my truth and that of Lorca, whose name we aren’t
going to use in vain”.
Rafael Amargo (Photo Daniel
Muñoz) |
Manuel Molina and Rafael Amargo
(Photo Daniel Muñoz) |
Albert Boadella and Francis
Montesinos (Photo Daniel Muñoz) |
The ‘duende’ is represented
on stage by cantaor and composer Manuel Molina, who affirms
that “this show is full of simplicities and that’s
what makes it difficult”. And that is precisely how
Amargo sees his lyrics: “He embodies ‘duende’
with his poetry, concise poetry which says a lot in just
two lines”. The lineup of artists includes guitarist
José Luis Montón and flutist Juan Parrilla
as authors of the music and musical directors, ten instrumentalists
and cantaores live, a dance corps with six bailaoras and
three bailaores - among them, Vanesa Gálvez, Eli
Ayala and Nacho Blanco -, and the special collaboration
of María la Conejo. The crew is completed with lighting
by Carlos Bessia and wardrobe design by Francis Montesinos.
“All of them have tailored a suit for me”, states
Rafael Amargo, who defines himself as “an artist more
of intuition than method”.
Rafael Amargo, 'La difícil
sencillez' (Photo Daniel Muñoz) |
Rafael Amargo, 'La difícil
sencillez' (Photo Daniel Muñoz) |
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