Flamenco Vivo!

[??]Flamenco Vivo!, a newly formed group, happily appeared in an intimate (and packed) theater where the charm and individuality of the dancers came across without straining (Sante Fe Community Theater, Santa Fe, New Mexico, February 25 & March 2, 1996). They were balanced by the excellent guitarists, Calvin Hazen and Paco Mitchell, and guest singer, Kati Mejia from San Francisco. From the very beginning enthusiasm and taste emanated from the stage as the performers showed the variety of effects possible within a format of mostly solo dances. In her Alegrias, knowing, womanly Karla created flickering moods with her expressive face and arms that gestured and outlined her body. A soft smolder, a sassy flounce of red ruffle thrown over the hips, a self-deprecating humor, followed one after the other. Esther Marion, with her stylish, elongated El Greco body and limbs, curled her arms around her head in a sorrowful Solea and later returned in black pants to dance Bamb Masri with crisp zapateados, strikingly accompanied only by palmas (the rhythmic clapping of hands) and the hypnotic sound of a cajon (a type of wooden box).

Ramona Garduno, in another Solea, had a special, severe authority--crisp, vehement. Her dance contrasted with the languorous and innocent sensuality of Nicolasa Chavez's Tangos de Malaga. Juanillo, with just one guitarist onstage, built his Farruca from a meditative entrance to rapid-fire footwork, keeping his graceful and strong use of hands and arms and his sweet-tempered intensity throughout.