The Emocion Flamenco festival starts tonight with “three nights of world-class flamenco at Birmingham Town Hall”. Organised by Rich Hadley and Ana Garcia who have been pushing the flamenco agenda in this city with great passion.
The highlight, as I understand it, is the Saturday performance by Los Arrieritos of 13 Rosas, a much celebrated piece that’s seeing it’s UK premier in Birmingham.
An unforgettable experience and an artistic highlight of 2007, 13 Rosas is a thrilling flamenco dance performance portraying the lives of thirteen women fighting for freedom, fighting for their lives.
Spain’s respected El Mundo newspaper said: “The way they have distilled with such simplicity both the reality of the situation and the emotional state is extraordinary.â€
With Birmingham their only UK date, 13 Rosas is a compelling dance and music drama which touches the heart and fires the imagination, an inspiring story from the tragic Spanish Civil War.
Los Arrieritos features a company of flamenco and contemporary dance soloists, musicians and top production team – a combination that has just won two prestigious “Max†awards (the Spanish equivalent of the Olivier Awards) for best choreography and best dance performance of the year.
Audiences and critics throughout Spain have been raving about Los Arrieritos and this, their most powerful show to date. Unmissable.
Rich phoned me recently to really hammer home what a big deal getting them over here is and I reckon I believe him, so if you fancy something that’ll set your pants and brains on fire this Saturday you’d be advised to be at the Town Hall.