Not the first time fahmi alqhai, visible head of Piacere Academy, approaches the flamenco through the baroque. He did so with that spectacle of the pandemic Biennial of 2020, Lost paradise, together with Patricia guerrero, and then with GugurumbéNow, the violagambist meets again with a Guerrero in full creative effervescence, at the front of the Ballet Flamenco Andalusia, to return to that terrain and dig into the remote roots of the flamenco with Seville as a founding laboratory.
El Teatro de la Maestranza of the capital of Seville is the chosen setting for the launch of Origin, a stone's throw from the Torre del Oro, overlooking the river that symbolizes that crossroads of cultures between East and West, the New and the Old World. A full house to support a group that, let's say it again, was recently in the throes of institutional neglect, and in just a year and a half has staged three—three!—shows. Definitive proof that the old excuses were nothing more than that, excuses, and that when you want, you can, and even you should.
But we are in Origin, on this journey that isn't meant to be archaeological, that is, into the past, but rather a dialogue in the present with that capital of the Baroque, its sounds, and its dances. From the somewhat confusing beginnings of instruments, voices, and dancers, forgivable given that it's a premiere, we're left with the beautiful costumes and the excellent work of the dance troupe, which evolves among the golden moldings while the soprano Quiteria Muñoz plays a fandango of Joseph of Nebra.
«The final feeling is of having seen a dream Seville unfold on stage, that of the mythical foundation of the flamenco, that of bananas and chaconas, sarabands and marionettes, but also that of the delirium that arose in southern Europe to resist those 95 theses that Luther nailed to the door of the All Saints' Church in Wittenberg.
What follows is a series of linked visions that aim to reflect, with no small amount of inventiveness, the Seville of the time, the one that could have been and illuminated the art that today drives the entire world crazy. To achieve this, no resources are spared, from shawls and crinolines to grotesque masks like those that adorn Sicilian doors and churches, some prudent concessions to Orientalism, chandeliers and devotional processions, dancing in cassocks and bells of Edward Loyal and Guerrero and Alqhai's interpretation of another fandango, that of Santiago de Murcia, chandeliers and big heads, without forgetting the different curtains that veil and unveil according to the occasion.
Although very different in its approach from the company's previous works, Pineda y Blessed land, this Origin maintains the hallmarks of Patricia Guerrero's choreographies, already recognizable to the informed public, as well as the seal of Juan Dolores Caballero as a stage director. There aren't too many surprises, but there are a bunch of scenes of uneven charm, which were discussed by the audience upon leaving.
The final feeling is that of having seen a dream Seville unfold on stage, that of the mythical foundation of the flamenco, that of bananas and chaconas, sarabands and marionettes, but also that of the delirium that arose in southern Europe to resist those 95 Theses that Luther nailed to the door of All Saints' Church in Wittenberg. Who knows if that baroque remains a protective wall for us today, and who knows from what.
Credits
Origin, Ballet Flamenco Andalusia
Maestranza Theatre, Seville
May 18th 2025
Artistic direction and choreography BFA: Patricia Guerrero
Musical direction, composition and arrangements: Fahmi Alqhai
Soprano: Quiteria Muñoz
Flamenco guitar: Dani de Morón
Viola da gamba: Rami Alqhai
Viola da gamba tenor: Johanna Rose
Harpsichord and organ: Javier Núñez
Baroque guitar: Carles Blanch
Baroque oboe and shawms: Jacobo Díaz
Sachets: David García
Bassoon: Luis Castillo
Double bass: Gal Mestro
Percussions: Agustin Diassera
Singer: Amparo Lagares
Dance troupe: Adriana Gomez, Alvaro Aguilera, Angel Fariña, Araceli Munoz, Arturo Fajardo, Blanca Lorente, Claudia 'La Debla', David Vargas, Hugo Aguilar, Jasiel Nahin, Lucia 'La Bronce', Maria Carrasco, Sofia Suarez.
