It's all described in Genesis chapter 11: the descendants of Noah, the one from the famous ark with a pair of every species, decided to build a tower so tall it would reach the heavens. The Almighty, offended by such pride, made each of them speak a different language, preventing the project from succeeding and scattering them across the Earth. You already know all this, of course. What perhaps no one has told you, and what perhaps even God himself didn't suspect, is that humanity invented a language with which we could all understand each other, a universal code that could unite us.
Babel. Living Tower, the new work by the Sevillian dancer and choreographer david coria that has been offered in the Jerez Festival in advance format or Work in progressIt takes the biblical myth as its starting point. On the edge of the stage, an international cast begins to speak in different languages: English, Spanish, Japanese, Russian, Italian… The curious thing is that not only do they not seem confused, but it would even seem that they understand each other perfectly.
Already on the boards of Blas Infante Social CenterThey begin to draw imaginative shapes with their combined bodies: a tower that eventually evolves into a sculptural figure (perhaps a processional float?), a human ladder… They convey a strong sense of construction and labor, although very soon the voice of david lakes It will burst forth to remind us that Babylon, where that building stood, fell for lack of foundations.
"It's been a long time since the flamenco It's not the exclusive domain of Andalusians, or even of Spaniards. But we aren't always lucky enough to see such a diverse range of backgrounds understanding each other so well on stage. Because that universal language is the one that requires neither passports nor dictionaries, that Esperanto that only needs eyes, ears, and heart: art.
The characteristic features of Coria's productions are present once again here: the irreplaceable cante Lagos, more Morentian than ever in his interpretation of the texts that the program attributes to Alberto ConejeroA highly physical dance, a strong allegorical content, and intense teamwork define the coordinates of a show in which the Sevillian dancer spends considerable time dancing solo soleá with his usual power, to the beat of electronic rhythms. Alejandro Rojas-Marcos.
However, most of what we saw was a group choreography, with a very compact dance troupe that, as is the case with the canteIt finds its true essence in that ritual repetition, in the litany. Thus, the Tower of Babel is merely a metaphorical way of speaking about what divides us, about the forces—not so much divine as earthly—that separate us as a community. In contrast, there is the dream, or, as it is defined in the program notes, the utopia of unity, materialized in cohesion and synchronicity.
It's been a long time since he flamenco It's not the exclusive domain of Andalusians, or even of Spaniards. But we aren't always lucky enough to see such a diverse range of backgrounds understanding each other so well on stage. Because that universal language I mentioned at the beginning, as you've probably guessed, is the one that requires neither passports nor dictionaries, that Esperanto that only needs eyes, ears, and heart: art.
Credits
Babel (Work in progress), from the David Coria Company
XXX Jerez Festival
Blas Infante Social Center of Jerez
March 2th 2026
Original idea and art direction: David Coria
Musical direction: David Lagos
Choreography: David Coria and dancers
Choreographic collaboration: Miguel Ángel Heredia
Original music, prepared piano and harpsichord: Alejandro Rojas-Marcos
Dance: David Coria, Yardén Amir, Cristina Hall, Lucía La Bronce, Gia Medina, Federico Núñez, Kotoha Setoguchi, Polina Sofía
Cante: David Lagos
