Kaleidoscopic universe - Estévez/Paños y compañía ‘Retablo experimental sobre el baile flamenco’
30 June 2025
This is rather my fragments of thoughts than a review, but I would somehow like to give a shape to what I felt. It means I was literally inspired that much, and still am.
Nothing was missing
Dating back to 8 June 2025 at the newly opened Sadler’s Wells East, ‘Retablo experimental sobre el baile flamenco’ was, as the title suggests, all about baile flamenco, rather than flamenco as a whole or as a music genre. They purposefully did not involve any guitarist or instrumentalist, so superficially speaking, it lacked at last one important aspect of the art. In the case of this particular show, however, I felt this exclusion was ‘right’. Flamenco guitar has developed through its own beautiful route and it could be featured in a different show.
Without live musicians, Rafael Estévez and Valeriano Paños, both the directors and principal dancers themselves, ingeniously cast a talented dancer-singer Alberto Sellés, along with two exceptionally skilled dancers Jorge Morera and Manuel Montes. The voice of Sellés, as well as his dance, added grace, warmth and generosity of cante flamenco to this somewhat minimalistic show with his incredible stamina, versatility and charm. A male-only showcase, and it worked perfectly, because male only does not necessarily mean lack of femininity. The company of five men did not lack anything in terms of performance quality.
Even though all of them were excellent, the most captivating was perhaps Estevez, the co-director, who enchanted us with his wit, a sense of humour, profoundness, roundness, sharpness… everything. Well-trained dancers could trace his choreographies very well too, but his rich presence and charisma cannot be copied. With his fluidity, elegance and cheekiness, we did not miss a physical form of another gender on stage. It was all there.
Multidimensional
When talking about an artistic showcase, we tend to fall into a trick of simple dualism or binary opposition, and flamenco is not an exception. People would label a flamenco show as ‘traditional and authentic’, or ‘experimental and bold’, etc. When someone’s show is categorised as experimental, it would be acknowledged as something unconventional or unorthodox, a counterpart to the so-called traditional style. When both types are featured in one show in a ‘gala’ format, it would rather look like a patchwork of different styles.
‘Retablo experimental sobre el baile flamenco’ was, at least to me, experimental, traditional, progressive and nostalgic at the same time. It was like, normally opposing elements found a way to co-exist in the multidimensional atmosphere. Not completely merged or blended, multiple elements were floating in the same space as available ingredients for creation, sometimes clashing, sometimes interweaving. Various combinations of ideas, dissimilar interpretations, they all have their space as far as they maintain flamenco basis, and each outcome can be beautiful - not as a patchwork but as a kaleidoscope.
When the dancers discuss or ‘argue’ over certain palos, insisting on different accents, disagreeing with each other, there is no simple right or wrong. Although flamenco compás is somewhat a rigid structure like a law, how to untangle it into expressive phrasings is also subject to numerous interpretations according to an individual’s sense of rhythm, as far as it fits within the shared framework.
Under their avant-garde facade, they were embracing the artistic treasure of the older generations with sincere respect and admiration. In this sense, this show was very traditional. While the choreographies demonstrated certain innovative moves, you could also notice rich references to historical maestros. As a dance genre, flamenco is not a linear progression from primitive to modern - both old and new elements co-exist in the same sphere of the current world of baile flamenco. When acrobatic dance techniques are attempted, orthodox marcajes also re-emerge fresh and alive. Evolving, but simultaneously going back to the roots - that is the daily life of flamenco art itself.
While there have been so many ‘experimental’ flamenco productions that are entertaining, often ambitious and flashy, who else could achieve such a subliminal, profound and multidimensional creation in such a simplistic way? Estévez and Paños have my admiration for their uncompromising diligence, exceptional talents and ingenuity.
Watching ‘Retablo experimental sobre el baile flamenco’ was like being immersed in the universe of baile flamenco, its progression, regression, sublation, synchronicity, co-existence, fusion, disagreement, dialogue, conflict, modification, earthiness, abstraction, playfulness, seriousness, past, present, future… all at the same time.
Their flamenco altarpiece, retablo, is something they always carry in their souls; you rely on it, live with it so that you can move forward. It is a spiritual pillar as well as a driving force. There can be many such altarpieces with diverse styles, colours and designs. In this sense, what I saw through the show was a kaleidoscope of varied altarpieces that are all devoted to the chosen art form. In this way, this ‘experiment’ was pure flamenco - an ongoing, never ending dedication to the flamenco spirit.
Estévez/Paños y compañía Retablo experimental sobre el baile flamenco
