¡Olé!

Sometimes, getting one's hands on (very) last-minute tickets brings us real joy!

Yesterday, I and Paul were delighted to get seats for a genuine slice of "kulture with a capital 'K'", as we trotted off to the marvellous Sadlers Wells Theatre for a one-woman show Danzaora starring one of Andalusia's finest modern flamenco dance virtuosi, Señorita Rocío Molina.

One of the stars of the annual Flamenco Festival London - a prestigious event to which I have (shamefully) never been before, and it is celebrating its tenth year... - Rocío Molina has been variously described as "one of the greatest flamenco dancers I have seen...at all points resisting stereotype, staleness, categorization" (New York Times) and "probably the most exciting young dancer in flamenco today" (TimeOut), she is a previous winner of the best dancer award at the Seville Biennial Flamenco Festival, and is generally considered to represent a "New Wave" in the traditional artform.

The show was indeed utterly astonishing, as the diminutive Señorita, ably accompanied by the beautiful vocals of Jose Angel Carmona, the superb guitar of Eduardo Trassiera and Jose Manuel Ramos' percussion (clapping and tapping mainly), twirled, stamped, tapped and leapt around the minimal stage. With a combination of traditional flamenco and bolera, Hollywood syncopation, ballet and contemporary interpretative dance moves of her own creation, she was inexhaustible! For an hour-and-a-half, she mesmerised us, and rarely (if ever) stood still throughout.

It is impossible to single out a particular segment of the performance for praise, as it was all so enchanting, but the experiments with sound and echo that form the crux of the finale were an experience I will certainly never forget in a hurry.

Danzaora was a feast for the senses. We were completely awe-struck.

Here's some snippets from Rocío Molina's show:

Rocío Molina - Danzaora

Flamenco Festival London continues until 27th March 2013.

Rocío Molina biography

I wish I was back in Spain...