REVIEW: Noche Flamenca returns to Joe’s Pub in NYC

NEW YORK — Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca made a triumphant return to Joe’s Pub on the Lower East Side of Manhattan earlier this month. Dancing before alcohol-sipping diners, the hard-working flamenco company, headed by Barrio’s husband Martín Santangelo, created a one-hour program that seemed to fit the intimate setting at the Public Theater.

Rather than starting with a company number (probably a smart move considering the tight space), dancers La Argentinita and Marina Elana began the evening by performing “Besame,” a duet number that saw the two dancers trading turns in the spotlight. Their tapping feet and shaking torsos matched well with the music accompaniment provided by Eugenio Iglesias. The two dancers are distinctive in their movies, offering unique differentiations from each other and Barrio herself.

The program continued with the highlight of the evening, “Duet Alegrías,” performed by Barrio and guest artist Antonio Jiménez. Simultaneously sexy and fierce, the two dancers conjured ferocity as they moved through their tortured steps. This was the only time during the night that the tiny stage at Joe’s Pub seemed too small for the effusive energy from the Noche Flamenca performers. Barrio, one of the finest dancers of her kind, seems to follow well-choreographed steps, but she’s prone to let the rhythm sway her in different directions. This unbounded enthusiasm means she’s a kindred spirit, let loose for our gawking eyes. The Joe’s Pub stage can hardly contain her.

Antonio Jiménez, who often dances with Noche Flamenca, has a skill that is unparalleled on stage. He summons his determination from deep down, often closing his eyes as he bends and sways to the deep-throated singing of Jose Jímenez and Manuel Gago. The shoulder-length hair of the dancer veils his furrowed brow and pained face as he lets the inherent emotions of the dance form consume his body. Barrio and Antonio Jiménez are beautiful soloists, but taken together, they elevate each other’s strengths.

After a musical solo, where Jose Jímenez belted with such fierceness that his microphone nearly fell off, Antonio Jiménez returned for “Solea por Bulerías,” another highlight. He’s a deeply internal dancer, one who finds inspiration by the constant tapping of his heels, as if the staccato beats can never quite find the right rhythm. He doesn’t look out to the audience, instead holding onto his swirling movements with a firm grasp. This makes the solo piece both highly personal and somewhat inaccessible, as if it were a museum exhibit in motion.

“Martinete,” another duet from Argentinita and Elana, was interesting, although it felt superfluous, not adding too much after their opening sequence.

Barrio’s finishing solo, always the ultimate experience of any Noche Flamenca performance, was revelatory, as to be expected. There’s such a technical prowess and unhinged interpretive power to the performance. This time, even though I’ve seen the number a handful of times, Barrio’s final piece seemed more mournful and intimate. At one point, she even cradles the hem of her dress as if holding a baby. Unlike Antonio Jiménez, Barrio is a dancer whose stance and gestures flow out to the audience. Her circling hand movements and nonstop footwork is both skilled and inviting, giving us the chance to look closer at the fomenting tempest.

Noche Flamenca has done it again.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

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