January 30, 2006
Paco Peña Flamenco Dance Company, Sunday, January 29th
Since coming to the Kimmel Center, I've learned that flamenco is much more than just dance—there's the singing, guitar and band. Paco Peña's ensemble brings all three, especially virtuosic guitar playing, to Verizon Hall on Sunday. Peña's show, called A Compás! is meant to transmit the tribal, trance-inducing nature of the rhythms.
Did you find yourself in a trace watching Peña's dancers and hearing the music on Sunday?
Comments
Having never seen a real Flamenco performance before, I had no idea what to expect. But wow, it was as exquisite an event as I've ever seen in Verizon Hall. The guitarists (including Paco Pena himself) seemed surprisingly content to sit virutally in the shadows most of the time while letting the dancers take all the attention.
Speaking of the dancers, they would have done just as well, in my opionion, with just the one. The second male dancer and the female were so dramatically outdone! I can't remember the last time I witnessed a standing ovation in the middle of the event -- the crowd LOVED him.
Also, wanted to mention how wonderful it was to see so many people in the Plaza before the show. The "Free in the Plaza" Flamenco performance drew as large a crowd as I've seen in a long time. Lots of energy and enthusiasm!
I very very much enjoyed the performance. It was beautiful, passionate, sensual and energetic. I very much enjoyed the Plaza Performance with the dancers. It was a great start to a wonderful evening.
Paco Pena's ensemble performance was superb -- the dancers were outstanding. The singer and musicians were incredible. I would definitely attend another show. Thank you for a wonderful experience.