The dancer Fuensanta La Moneta He revalidated his Granada gypsy career on the stage of Palace of the music of Villanueva del Ariscal (Seville), which hosted on this occasion as a traveling headquarters of the Peña Flamenca La Solera the recital scheduled within the circuit Seville Flamenco of the Seville Provincial Council. She did so accompanied on the guitar by Eugenio Iglesias and cante from Huelva Jeromo Segura.
La Moneta is a sure bet. But every little thing counts. What surrounds the show isn't trivial. Attention must be paid to the details. Perhaps the Villanueva City Council has less funds than a can of anchovies, and that justifies some of the stage flaws; others are unforgivable. A pair of bulrush chairs isn't the same as two black plastic ones. The empty, rickety, bare stage box isn't the same as a back curtain, side curtains, appropriate lighting, a dark room, decent sound that doesn't exceed the decibel level... plus a dance floor, or at least a microphone so your feet can be heard. In these inhospitable conditions, there's no warmth. The occupied quarter and a half of the inning didn't help either., despite it being free and midday on a Saturday, and its lukewarmness or coldness until the final applause. Respect is one thing, and lack of support is another.
"That's how La Moneta had to dance, giving her all, expending every resource she could to build it up. And separating the dance from the rest, her performance was savory and high-quality, just like what we're used to."
That's how La Moneta had to dance, giving her all, squandering all the resources she could muster to raise the bar. And separating the dance from the rest, her performance was savory and high-quality, as we're used to. Eugenio's guitar didn't excel due to the circumstances, but it shone sufficiently. Jeromo played it easy, with the attitude of a civil servant. I was confused by his registers: he used supposedly guttural pressures that mimic the echoes of grapefruit throughout his lighthearted repertoire, and the fake attacks remained, already integrated into the placement of his voice, which, moreover, changed depending on what he was singing, whether he was farther away or closer to the line he intended to emulate. Copyists borrow the seal of others to honor him and profit from his memory with the most legitimate and laudable of intentions. But there are many who say little. Whoever the maestro may be. Despite my displeasure, I could see that the public was enthusiastic, especially in the string of fandangos of Toronjo that was performed with knowledge and ease and the biblical sevillanas with which he continued to kill time during the changing of the wardrobe at La Moneta.
Eugenio broke the ice with a colorful guitar solo in which he wove together fragments of malagueña, soleá, and abandolaos, displaying polish and originality. And from Levante to the tangos, they lent a sonanta and voice to Fuensanta, who stained the stage with her unbridled, racial dance. She loosened her waist with the twists and sways of her hips, with rounded arm movements, very flamencoand the ideal use of zapateao and feet so as not to bore with technical ostentation. Art above all. And she poured it out, moving her dress, occupying the spaciousness of the platform, or standing with her swaying movements. jondos to delight the respectable. The second dance ran between soleá and bulerías, where she alternated between the seriousness of orthodoxy in the former and the age and gypsy-ness in the latter, giving her all to please and rekindle the fire that runs through her and that would undoubtedly be difficult to put out with a shove in the cold theater.
I find it hard to criticize the criticism because La Moneta did dance well. But going into further unfavorable arguments doesn't help the organization, the space, the scene, or the flamenco. Let my desire be clear I'll be reunited with Fuensanta soon, because I like it, in warmer surroundings and properly wrapped up. It's a different world. And I can attest to this because there have been many occasions when this Granada gypsy has shaken my body.
Credits
La Moneta dance recital
Sevilla Flamenca Circuit of the Provincial Council of Seville
Palace of Music of Villanueva del Ariscal, Seville, Peña La Solera
4th October 2025
Dance: Fuensanta La Moneta
Cante: Jeromo Segura
Guitar: Eugenio Iglesias
