Time to get wet. Here it goes: the Trebujeno Juan Thomas de la Molia and the Nerja woman Agueda Saavedra are called to be – barring any capricious surprises from art – the dance couple of the century. There is no such thing at the moment in the flamenco a duo that takes to the stage with the flamenco and quality that these powerful dancers, touched by the magic wand, exude.
Under the title Interpersonal They presented a careful proposal in which they shine both solo and in the pas de deux, where they co-flow playing counterpoint in the tensions: while one draws figures with the body, the other works hard in the zapateao to coincide in unison and with precision in perfectly coordinated common places, without falling into the hackneyed repetition of poses, steps and markings, granting it heterogeneity, dynamism and originality to the joint choreography and providing their own, timely and appropriate personality to individual moves and passages when they share the platform.
For seventy minutes that seemed short, they formed the apotheosis of dance in a show full of harmony and complicity, not only among the dancers themselves, who are also romantic partners and that has to be worth something, but also with the rest of the exceptional cast that supported them, from the extraordinary percussion of Paquito Vega, Through the cante syrupy of Jesus Corbacho and the attacks of Ismael de la Rosa The Ball or the masterful guitar of John Campallo.
«Juan Tomás de la Molía from Trebujena and Águeda Saavedra from Nerja are destined to be the dance couple of the century. There is no such couple at the moment. flamenco A duo that will take to the stage with the flamenco and quality that these powerful dancers, touched by the magic wand, exude.
I can think of few accompanying percussionists who know how to season the beat just right, without disturbing or standing out from the crowd, providing the ideal foundation that the other musicians need. Paquito Vega is there. No one like Jesús to curl the rhythms of Marchena, the cries or weave the echoes of Pepe Pinto slipping them in wherever he wants. Bola is probably the most creative and original singer of his generation, with exquisite wisdom and taste. And Campallo is undoubtedly the best accompaniment to the dance, because he pours the musicality of a handful of flamenco orchestras, full of sensitivity, into his guitar strings. There is no one like Juan Tomás, a die-hard fan, with technique, elegance, age… as flattering as he is. And he's a swagger. He sways as he pleases, puts on a perfect face, and possesses enviable precision on his feet. He has it all; he suits any move, the ones he invents and the ones he steals, woven with the wisdom of spontaneous naturalness. He tries things out and always gets them right. He caresses, amuses, and scratches. Águeda is unique, distinctive, from another era. Her expression alone is worth the price of admission. She dresses luxuriously.She moves her hips and torso at the whim of her heart. Her arm movements are dreamy. She doesn't think, she dances. She is the dancer who best combines poise. flamenco with elegance and sensuality. That's why I tell you, and I insist, I believe without exaggeration, that they are the best of the best.
The percussion opened discreetly. Águeda came out wearing a bata and brought the seriousness of the taranto, sharing it with Juan Tomás. Pure, without transition to the tangos. The lyrics were tossed around between the singers' throats, and Campallo began with his campallerías, flirting with the rhythm and falsetas. What a way to introduce the soleá with the guitar! Like a trickster who hides the beats and leaves clues resonating in the air, revealing the essential skeleton of the palo. Águeda danced it sprinkled with white polka dots on black, wearing a bullfighter's jacket and to the warmth of the Triana brass instruments that alternated between El Bola and Corbacho, who also remembered Pedro Peña condoling. The tension was palpable in Saavedra's parás, who, although he knows how to stroll, shines best in the silences, creaking with restraint. The escobilla finished and resolved painfully, Corbacho gave a fandango of Pinto, Águeda bullfights and El Bola charged through Paquirrí. They then crowned the performance with the bulería romanceá that arrived in Lebrija. Campallo calmed the peace with the bajañí in a solo full of delicacy and emotion, a free playing with neat tremolos, a thrilling pulse, and a composition that can only spring from the depths of a noble soul who delves into the ducas to let herself go. To his mother, who passed away a year ago. The joys of Juan Tomás were to be framed and carried in the bag of the fat creeps from the memory of the fans. You spurt foam and salt, cheerful, cheerful, graceful, in his own time… He danced to bursting point and said goodbye to them on his knees without missing a beat. He's allowed whatever he wants. And he enters without permission to the core, tickling the very walls of the heart. He seduces with his face, with his pats on the body, his turns, his shoulders, his jacket, his eyes, his feet, his waist, his ass shakes, his hands, and the rhythm. The thing ended by rounding out the repertoire with tangos, preluded by a few shouts from Corbacho, again some tributes to Marchena, and a few other filigrees from the gullible El Bola, facing each other on either side of the stage, each behind a chair that the dancers later occupied. And that was the end. With the winds of Triana and Málaga—the so-called cantes of The Piyayo–, and also The Catalina de Vallejo They merged into the tangos of mischievous sensuality that far surpass the perreo and vulgar obscenity of reggaeton.
The ovation was long and passionate. The crowds as they left were a stream of well-deserved compliments and smiles of pleasure. Let the scouts and programmers pay attention. Interpersonal It has to be repeated by the dancers around the world out of flamenco generosity and a need for enjoyment. It's an apotheotic dance spectacle because they are the best of the best.
Credits
Águeda Saavedra and Juan Tomás de la Molía
Thursday Flamencos of the Cajasol Foundation
Cajasol Theater, Seville
May 27th 2025
Dance: Águeda Saavedra and Juan Tomás de la Molía
Cante: Jesús Corbacho and Ismael de la Rosa El Bola
Guitar: Juan Campallo
Percussion: Paco Vega
