Press Release: The Flamenco Festival returns to Sadler’s Wells this summer from Tuesday 4 – Saturday 15 June

[Jan McNulty]

Flamenco Festival London 2024  Sadler’s Wells Theatre & Lilian Baylis Studio  Tuesday 4 – Saturday 15 June    The Flamenco Festival returns to Sadler’s Wells this summer for its 19th edition from Tuesday 4 – Saturday 15 June. This year’s festival features seven UK premieres and thrilling performances from flamenco luminaries, with a varied programme of dance performances and concerts.    Rocío Molina opens the Flamenco Festival 2024 with her trademark subversion of flamenco traditions in Al Fondo Riela on Tuesday 4 June. Using the original flamenco trio of dance, song and guitar, Al Fondo Riela is a piece about reflection and the loss of reality. On stage, she is accompanied by two contrasting guitarists, Oscar Lago with his traditional, technical skill, and Yerai Cortés with his innovative flair.    Molina returns after her appearance at the Flamenco Festival in 2019, the same year she won the Critics’ Circle National Dance Award for outstanding female performance in Caída del Cielo (Fallen from Heaven). In 2022, she became the first flamenco dancer to win the Silver Lion at the Venice Biennale.    Premier flamenco guitarist and Latin Grammy Award-winner Vicente Amigo has been dubbed one of the most accomplished flamenco guitarists of his generation. He presents a concert that bridges classical and nuevo flamenco on Wednesday 5 June, fusing jazz, folk and South American rhythms without losing the essence of flamenco. Amigo is seen as a successor to the composer and flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucía.    Virtuoso performers Patricia Guerrero and Alfonso Losa strip flamenco bare and explore personal connection in Alter Ego on Thursday 6 June. Developed from a series of improvisations in the studio, Alter Ego is an intense duet that combines conventional flamenco with unbridled movement. Guerrero draws geometric figures with her dance, dismantling her movements and recreating them anew. Losa develops new schemes without breaking the mould and stays true to his roots.    Eva Yerbabuena reflects on her 20-year career in Yerbagüena (bright dark), as she takes to the stage from Friday 7 – Saturday 8 June with her musical director, guitarist and husband, Paco Jarana, as well as two singers and two percussionists.    Yerbabuena is known for exploring the tension between traditional and nuevo flamenco, and most famously for her interpretations of the soleá - the dance of solitude. Her career has included an invitation from Pina Bausch to perform at the Tanztheater Wuppertal 25th anniversary festival, choreographing Mi Niña Manuela for the Ballet Nacional de España, and working with film director Mike Figgis, for the documentary Flamenco Women.     Celebrated flamenco musician Israel Fernández presents his latest album Pura Sangre on Sunday 9 June in collaboration with renowned Jerez guitarist Diego del Morao. In his most personal work to date, Pura Sangre is an intimate look at Fernández’s surroundings and his way of interacting with the outside world. Fernández’s album Amor won the Premio Odeón and he has also been nominated for Best Flamenco Album in the Latin Grammy Awards.    On Monday 10 June, choreographer David Coria and singer David Lagos converge in a contemporary interpretation of the fandango, a popular and festive musical style from Andalusia with more than 500 years of history. From flamenco to contemporary movement, traditional song to electronic music, ¡Fandango! draws on Iberian folk culture to celebrate Spanish history and tradition. Coria has collaborated with numerous Spanish dance companies including Compañía Andaluza de Danza, Ballet Nacional de España, Rafaela Carrasco and Rocío Molina. Lagos won four awards at the Biennal of Flamenco in Seville in 2020 including the award for the best performance.    Ballet Nacional de España will close the festival in an extravaganza of music, movement and colour with Invocación from Wednesday 12 – Saturday 15 June. Artistic Director Rubén Olmo curates this all-encompassing evening featuring 38 dancers and four works that cover the cornerstones of Spanish dance, from vibrant flamenco and traditional bolero to contemporary dance and classical ballet. De lo Flamenco is a tribute to the legendary dancer and choreographer Mario Maya. Olmo choreographs two works; Jauleña, performed by a different soloist from the company each night, and the colourful, ensemble piece, Invocación Bolera. Finally, Antonio Najarro’s Eterna Iberia features the signature elements of Spanish dance – castanets, the Spanish Cape, and the Cordobes Hat.    As one of the main cultural ambassadors of Spain to the world, Ballet Nacional de España highlights Spain’s rich choreographic heritage. The National Ballet, founded by the Ministry of Culture in 1978, continues to set the standard for Spanish dance.  Miguel Marín, director of Flamenco Festival said “This year’s festival offers a window into the dynamic and vibrant landscape of contemporary flamenco. From the groundbreaking artistry of Rocio Molina to the timeless mastery embodied in Mario Maya's BNE piece, the award-winning innovation of emerging talent like David Coria and the profound flamenco expressions of the esteemed Eva Yerbabuena – the queen of deep flamenco. The festival also showcases unparalleled virtuosity with performances by Alfonso Losa and Patricia Guerrero. In the realm of music, we are graced by the brilliance of guitar virtuoso, Vicente Amigo, and the resonant voice of today, Israel Fernandez, hailed as the most acclaimed singer in the current flamenco landscape.”    Flamenco Festival 2024 takes places across Sadler’s Wells Theatre and the Lilian Baylis Studio, with further shows in the Lilian Baylis Studio to be announced soon.        NOTES TO EDITORS    Listings Information                          Flamenco Festival London 2024  Sadler’s Wells Theatre & Lilian Baylis Studio  Tuesday 4 - Saturday 15 June   Tickets from £15  Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com      About Flamenco Festival  Flamenco Festival is dedicated to showcasing and promoting Spanish culture worldwide. Under the direction and leadership of Miguel Marín, the festival's annual international events serve as a platform for presenting today's foremost flamenco luminaries — from internationally acclaimed artists and venerable icons of traditional flamenco to the most cutting-edge and promising young talents in dance, music, and song.    Established in 2001, Flamenco Festival has evolved into the premier global platform for flamenco, captivating over 1.6 million people annually. Across 112 cities, it has featured 170 companies in 1350 performances, elevating flamenco to a vital part of the season of prestigious theaters worldwide, including NY City Center, Carnegie Hall, London Sadler's Wells, Arsht Center in Miami, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House, and more.    In 2012, Flamenco Festival launched the 'In Progress' residency program in New York, later extending to Miami and London. Evolving further in 2022, the program takes on a new dimension with groundbreaking 'glo-cal' creative labs in Torrox (Málaga). This initiative aims to expand the creative horizons of flamenco, encouraging experimentation and self-discovery, embracing the arts as a powerful catalyst for both individual and social transformation.      About Sadler’s Wells       Sadler's Wells is a world-leading dance organisation. We strive to make and share dance that inspires us all. Our acclaimed year-round programme spans dance of every kind, from contemporary to flamenco, Bollywood to ballet, salsa to street dance and tango to tap.        We commission, produce and present more dance than any other organisation in the world. Since 2005, we have helped to bring more than 200 new dance works to the stage, embracing both the popular and the unknown. Our acclaimed productions tour the world. Since 2005 we’ve produced 64 new full-length works and performed to audiences of more than two million, touring to 51 countries.       Each year, over half a million people visit our three London theatres - Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Lilian Baylis Studio and Peacock Theatre. Millions more attend our touring productions nationally and internationally or explore our digital platforms, including Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage.       Sadler’s Wells East    In 2024 we’re opening a fourth London venue in Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Sadler’s Wells East will house a 550-seat mid-scale theatre, as well as facilities for the new Rose Choreographic School and the hip hop theatre training centre, Academy Breakin’ Convention.    Sadler’s Wells East joins the rich cultural heritage of Stratford, opening in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park as part of the East Bank development alongside the BBC, UAL’s London College of Fashion, UCL and the V&A. Sadler’s Wells East will support artist development and training, and the creation of new work. It will build the infrastructure for dance and make it accessible to more people. Sadler’s Wells East will house a flexible theatre presenting a wide variety of dance performances. Community will be at the heart of Sadler’s Wells East with a large open foyer that can be used by everyone as a meeting or performance space. There will also be dance studios and world-class dance facilities for dancemakers to train, create and rehearse productions.      Supporting artists   Supporting artists is at the heart of our work. We have associate artists and companies, which nurture some of the most exciting talent working in dance today. We host the National Youth Dance Company, which draws together some of the brightest young dancers from across the country. Sadler’s Wells Breakin' Convention runs professional development programmes to champion and develop the world’s best hip hop artists, as well as producing, programming and touring groundbreaking hip hop performances.        Learning and community links   Around 30,000 people take part in our learning and engagement programmes every year. We support schools local to our theatres in Islington and Stratford, designing experiences for children and young people to watch, explore and critically engage with the arts. We also run Company of Elders, a resident performance company of dancers aged over 60 who rehearse with renowned artists to make new work for public performances locally, nationally and internationally.        Sadler’s Wells is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.       www.sadlerswells.com     Stay up to date with everything Sadler’s Wells on social media      Facebook: @SadlersWells      Twitter: @Sadlers_Wells      Instagram: @sadlers_wells      YouTube: Sadler’s Wells Theatre