The artist's struggle against their inner demons is a motif with a long tradition, and the flamenco She has many examples of this. The vertigo of the stage, the fear of failure, the tyranny of one's own limitations, creative block—these can be as inherent to the profession as they are inspiring. This is clearly demonstrated by the woman from Tarragona. Bethlehem Lopez –winner of the Desplante de La Unión and Mario Maya awards, among others– with his show Beats, which premiered in Andalusia within the framework of Jerez Festival.
The idea was to narrate the journey from those intimate shadows to clarity, a kind of therapy performed in full view of the public, based on a deep-rooted faith in the healing properties of art. Right from the start, with an overwhelming opening bulerías, we understand that this is a form of shock therapy: López, accompanied on dance by Rapido y Nerea Carrasco, he doesn't want to wait any longer to fill the Villamarta stage with overflowing energy.
These two colleagues, as Daniel CaballeroThe dancers, who will join shortly, represent those terrible forces that intimidate or torment the flamenco dancer. They all interact with Belén López and at the same time have their own moments to shine. Thus, Nerea Carrasco surprised everyone in the Vidalita de Marchena with some spectacular turns.
López did his part, showing off his skill with the castanets before launching into a solid taranto, while Rapico delighted the audience with his dance to the lyrics of an old ballad, and Caballero joined him for the pas de deux before performing the caña solo. All of them maintained a very high physical standard throughout the evening, displaying both strength and precision, although in my opinion it was Dani Caballero who took his choreography a step further, creating a truly unique character.
"At many points they slipped into a form of dance that is very widespread today, with almost acrobatic movements that seem to have more of a martial art than of art." jondoPersonally, I'm not bothered by those displays of emotion, especially when they're done honestly and not just for show.
At many points they slid into a form of dance very widespread today, with almost acrobatic movements and others that, as their detractors would say, seem to have more to do with martial arts than with art. jondoPersonally, I'm not bothered by those displays of emotion, especially when they are done honestly and not just for show.
In any case, no one can say that the Villamarta stage didn't vibrate with genuine dancing. And neither did the sound of the large backing band, although obvious sound problems, especially with the volume, threatened to muddy the whole thing. A real shame, because, without meaning to slight the rest of the troupe, at least the guitar of Mayan Jerome It's something always worth listening to. The same can be said of the lighting, well-designed but punctuated by inexplicable flashes and dark pauses.
As expected, the therapy began to show results, and towards the end of the performance she was a different person, on the path to tranquility, her shawl fluttering in the breeze, illuminated by tangos. It could have ended there, but we all know how difficult it is for today's creators to put a period at the end. I missed the one... Beats Because the last train back to Cádiz wasn't going to wait, but I hear the best was saved for last. Maybe next time.
On my way to the station, I kept looking at my shadow on the sidewalk and remembering the verse of The Wasteland From Eliot: “Who is that walking beside you?”
Credits
Heartbeats, Belén López Company
Jerez Festival 2026
Villamarta Theatre
March 1th 2026
Dance: Belén López
Cante: Eleazar Cerreduela, Calli, Juañarito
Guitar: Jerónimo Maya, Carlos Jiménez
Percussion: Rafael Jiménez “El Chispas”
Flute and Saxophone: Jesús Montoya
Dance: Belén López, Dani Caballero, Nerea Carrasco, Rapico
Special collaboration on dance: Sandra Jiménez
Voiceover: Mona Martínez
