Press Release: Flamenco Festival London 2015, Sadler's Wells

[Jan McNulty]

Flamenco Festival London 2015
Sadler’s Wells, EC1R 
Monday 16 February – Sunday 1 March
Tickets: £12 - £40
Ticket office: 0844 412 4300 or www.sadlerswells.com

Gala Flamenca: Antonio Canales / Carlos Rodriguez / Jesús Carmona / Karime Amaya (UK PREMIERE)
Arcángel / guest dancer Patricia Guerrero: Olor a Tierra (UK PREMIERE)
Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía: Images: 20 Years (UK PREMIERE)
Gerardo Núñez / guest dancer Carmen Cortés: In Concert (UK PREMIERE)
Eva Yerbabuena: ¡Ay!
Ballet Nacional de España: Grito and Suite Sevilla (UK PREMIERE)
Compañía Manuel Liñán: Nómada (UK PREMIERE)

The annual Flamenco Festival returns to Sadler’s Wells for the 12th year from Monday 16 February – Sunday 1 March 2014, representing the varied styles of the celebrated art form with performances from some of the world’s finest flamenco dancers and musicians. 

Gala Flamenca opens this year’s Flamenco Festival, a programme presenting the various different flavours of flamenco, featuring four of Spain’s leading dancers: the master of flamenco Antonio Canales; Carlos Rodriguez, the unforgettable choreographer of the Nuevo Ballet Español; the riveting young star Jesús Carmona; and Karime Amaya, much admired for her performances with Farruquito in the 2013 Flamenco Festival. 

Flamenco vocalist Arcángel, celebrated for his creative renditions of the classical ‘cante jondo’, is one of the leading lights of a new generation of flamenco singing. Widely acclaimed as the heir of the late Enrique Morente, Arcángel is joined on stage for his work Olor a Tierra by guest dancer Patricia Guerrero and guitaristDani de Morón. 

The Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía returns to Sadler’s Wells, this time under the direction of Rafaela Carrasco, with the UK premiere of a production commemorating the 20th anniversary of the company. Carrasco was selected as artistic director of the company in September 2013 but has been part of the company since 1994.Images: 20 Years revisits five of the most celebrated choreographies of the company’s repertoire, as a tribute to the former directors that have inspired Carrasco during her career and a modern interpretation of the rich history of the company. 

Famed guitar master Gerardo Núñez, known for his amazing speed and cross-cultural collaborations, presents a soulful and innovative evening of music taking inspiration from jazz and Latino-inspired rhythms. Núñez’s music is accompanied by electrifying gypsy dancer Carmen Cortés.

Theatrical performer and Flamenco Festival favourite Eva Yerbabuena returns to Sadler’s Wells with her dynamic and dramatic show ¡Ay! With this show Yerbabuena takes the flamenco art form in exciting new directions while also revering the flamenco tradition. 

The Ballet Nacional de España is undergoing a creative revival under the direction of the contemporary creator Antonio Najarro, who was appointed as director in 2011. The company presents the UK premieres of two outstanding pieces during this year’s Flamenco Festival. Najarro’s masterpiece Suite Sevilla sees 35 dancers on stage fusing cutting edge trends in both music and dance with Najarro’s unique approach to choreography, accompanied by a powerful and evocative score from Rafael Riqueni. Grito, a piece created by Antonio Canales, is an exploration of four of the fundamental categories, or ‘palos’, of flamenco – seguirillas, soleares, alegrías and tangos.

This year’s Flamenco Festival concludes with the UK premiere of Nómada, the fourth creation from the multi-award-winning Manuel Liñán as choreographer. In this production, the Compañía Manuel Liñán brings together a cast of six dancers, three singers and two guitarists. Liñán is critically acclaimed for his unpredictability and ability to transcend the presupposed limits of the stage. 

Other flamenco shows coming up this season are:
Titanium, Rojas y Rodriguez, The Peacock, 5 – 23 May 
Flamencura, Paco Peña Dance Company, Sadler’s Wells, 20 – 28 June
TOROBAKA, Akram Khan & Israel Galván, Sadler’s Wells, 30 June – 5 July 


Notes to editors:

About Sadler’s Wells
Sadler's Wells is a world leader in contemporary dance, committed to producing, commissioning and presenting new works and to bringing the very best international and UK dance to London and worldwide audiences. Under the Artistic Directorship of Alistair Spalding the theatre’s acclaimed year-round programme spans dance of every kind, from contemporary to flamenco, bollywood to ballet, salsa to street dance and tango to tap. Since 2005 it has helped to bring over 90 new dance works to the stage and its international award-winning commissions and collaborative productions regularly tour the world. Sadler’s Wells supports 16 appointed world class Associate Artists and 3 Resident Companies and nurtures the next generation of talent through its National Youth Dance Company, Summer University programme, Wild Card initiative and its New Wave Associates.

Located in Islington in north London, the current theatre is the sixth to have stood on the site since it was first built by Richard Sadler in 1683. The venue has played an illustrious role in the history of theatre ever since, with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and English National Opera all having started at Sadler’s Wells.

Sadler’s Wells is an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation and currently receives approximately 9% of its revenue from Arts Council England.