Wonderful! We've passed some great days with the creator and artists of the project "El Padre"! One of the participants these days was really struck by the high quality of the work and the interesting content of the lecture, so she put down her thoughts in some words. Thank you Kiana Moberg for sharing this with us!
A Close Look at an Amazing Project
by Kiara Moberg
It was a welcome surprise last Saturday to see the presentation of "A Close Look at El Padre" by Ballet Flamenco La Rosa in collaboration with Compaso Flamenco.
This performance and lecture showed the audience an in-depth and up-close look at their compelling and intense interpretation of the classic Strindberg play "The Father", using Flamenco music and dance to create "El Padre". This sensitive and thoughtful treatment of the Strindberg work showed a mastery of both the art of Flamenco and the essence of theatre.
I was particularly impressed by the character development within the structure of the music and dance. The performers were each superb in their roles, both as dancers and as actors. Their technique was pristine, offering the best of what we expect from Flamenco- the powerful footwork, elegant line and movement and a deep passion-at times restrained and at times explosive. The music was perfectly crafted to create the atmosphere and inspiration for every moment in the development of the story, and played beautifully by Manantial.
The style developed by Ilisa Rosal for this work, incorporating traditional Flamenco with an authentic feel of the period and the characters of Strindberg was brilliant.
I applaud both the selection of the artists and the masterful direction by Ms. Rosal, which achieved a very original and exciting new take on this great play.
She is herself a consummate dancer, and when she is on stage it is clear that she is a force to be reckoned with. I especially appreciate the fact that she collaborated with our Swedish artists who brought a strong presence and added to the many layers of this work. I hope that they have more opportunities to work with Ballet Flamenco La Rosa. This is clearly a meaningful partnership.
The lecture given by Ms. Rosal was informative and added to my appreciation of this tremendous undertaking and its exquisite result. I hope that we see more of this important work as Ballet Flamenco La Rosa continues to develop its international projects-maybe a tour of Sweden for next year?
