Dance review: Paco Peña Flamenco Dance Company

Published on Friday 3 September 2010 19:52

PACO PEÑA FLAMENCO DANCE COMPANY *** PLAYHOUSE, EDINBURGH

A WORLD premiere at the Edinburgh International Festival can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand it generates a lot of attention – on the other, if the final coat of paint has yet to dry, things can get a bit sticky.

Suffering from just that fate is the latest work by flamenco giant, Paco Pea. Quimeras has so much to offer an audience, it's almost heartbreaking that the show as a whole doesn't work.

The musicianship, vocals and movement are superb, bringing together a rhythmic blend of African and flamenco styles. Seeing the same routine performed simultaneously by two different cultures is utterly fascinating, and, as always, Pea himself is a joy to listen to.

So what went wrong? Essentially, Quimeras tries to do and say too much. Aiming to capture the experience of African immigrants using Spain as their gateway to a better life, it barely scratches the surface of this vast and complex subject.

Moments of literal narrative – voiceovers, flamenco dancers dressed as policemen and helicopter searchlights darting across the stage – add very little to our experience and serve only to distract from the power of the more abstract moments.