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What a contrast last night then, with Sara Baras, a positive diva of Nuevo Flamenco and a Company that would take some surpassing in technical ability. Even the purists would have found much to admire in this programme, although it was bold to open the programme with a violin and not guitars. It was unashamedly dedicated to dance, flamenco’s third ranking art form in more traditional forms. I would have liked more cante, although what there was was pretty good. All the musicians were top notch and, even the fact that it was amplified to the maximum didn’t detract: it somehow seemed to suit the style of the show.

Sara Baras
© Jose Luis Alvarez

And "show" is definitely what it was. The programme notes state that it is about "dancing and more dancing…" and they weren’t kidding. If anything, it was rather relentless. Two hours (no interval) of zapateado that thundered out like rapid pistol fire, Baras and guest performer Luis Ortega being particularly distinguished in this respect. The evening would have benefited by the inclusion of some quieter, more introspective moments: the sort of theatre flamenco that, when done well, can feel like a pena. The corps were no slouches either although all were let down by largely unflattering costumes. Fernando Martin’s lighting was stunning and added emphasis was provided by the sultry atmosphere of a sweltering London night. Perhaps it was this as much as the non-stop dancing that made me long for an interval, an emotional as much as a physical break in a show that felt almost like too much of a good thing by the last half an hour.

If there are tickets left, this is undoubtedly one to catch. It is exciting, technically stunning and convinces that flamenco can be a legitimate theatre art form without selling its soul.