Not all flamenco dancers have their own poetics, but Raphael Carrasco It is undoubtedly one of them. The moment the curtain rises, its distinctive stage designs, its recognizable music, and the texts of the essential [author/author] are immediately apparent. Álvaro Tato or, of course, the distinctive features of her dance. All of that was on display this Thursday on the privileged stage of Sadler's Wells Theatre from London, within the framework of the 21st edition of Flamenco Festival from the British capital. The creator's proposal for this occasion was her work Creaviva, which had been going well since the last Seville Biennialwhere we enjoyed it for the first time.
Unlike some of her other productions, where she is accompanied by a corps de ballet, here we find Rafaela alone, facing the challenge, not just because these kinds of shows are more portable—though that's part of it—but because the piece is precisely about solitude. In this case, it's the solitude of the creator—you know, the vertigo of the blank page or score, the unfinished canvas or stage—and her invocation of the muses. In fact, the piece is structured in nine movements, each corresponding to one of the muses of classical antiquity, so dear to the Sevillian artist since the successful Ariadne (following the myth).
The soleá, danced in the center of a circle, with that light about to fall on the precise hands of the dancer, opens the repertoire, followed by some bulerías in which Rafaela demonstrates that the dress is an extension of her body, and that She comes to the city on the Thames to dance with all her might.In fact, for the first forty minutes he won't even leave the scene to change, deploying his abundant arsenal of resources.
Gem Knight, a regular in Carrasco's stable, sings a melody that sounds like a folk song, perhaps a children's song but with beautiful lyrics, and it will blend wonderfully with the square tambourine played by Paul Martin Jones to culminate in a jota rhythm. And it will not be the only passage in which the folkloric and the liturgical, not to say the sacred, seem to happily intertwine.
"Rafaela Carrasco, divinely human, creates herself in each new work and believes in herself. She believes in it, and she converts us to her faith. And the 'oles,' which they also know how to say in the land of Shakespeare and Byron, rain down on her from the boxes and from the stalls."
A voice-over utters a string of gratitudes (“I give thanks to the mothers… I give thanks to the cats…”) before Rafaela’s dance becomes less temperamental and percussive, and more expressive or dramatic in the farruca, facing off against the guitar of Jose Luis MedinaThis highlights that the choreography of Creaviva It is structured with a probably very deliberate geometry, starting with a circle, continuing with a straight line, moving forward and backward with the guitarist as a reference… And it returns to the line, but vertically, in the number where Rafaela dares to sing with remarkable pellizco with a microphone hanging from the ceiling.
In addition to those mentioned, it is worth highlighting the cante always solid of Antonio Campos, perfectly contrasted with Caballero's, as well as the guitar of Jesus TorresA guarantee for the dance, although the strings didn't have the most desirable sound this time. The performance thus glides towards its finale with cantiñas, featuring a very inspired Rafaela Carrasco in her flamenco dress with a train, sporting the widest smile of the entire night, of course.
“I give thanks to the gods,” said the aforementioned voiceover, “for creating herself and for believing in herself.” Rafaela Carrasco, divinely human, creates herself in each new project and believes in herself. She believes it, and she converts us to her faith. And the cheers, which they also know how to shout in the land of Shakespeare and ByronThey rain down on him from the boxes and from the stalls.
Credits
Creaviva, by Rafaela Carrasco
21 º Flamenco London festival
Sadler's Wells Theatre
June 18 2026.
Dance: Rafaela Carrasco
Cante: Gema Caballero and Antonio Campos
Guitar: Jesus Torres and Jose Luis Medina
Percussion: Pablo Martin Jones
