For many decades, flamenco has had a place in New York City, bolstered in part by the numerous Latino community and the extended presence of the maestro Sabicas, but also due to the wide-open cultural landscape of \u201cthe city that never sleeps\u201d.<\/p>\n
The third week of October, the city hosted an academic encounter at the CUNY, the City University of New York, titled:\u00a0The Body Questions: Celebrating Flamenco\u2019s Tangled Roots<\/i>, in which some 30 speakers delivered presentations related to the diversity of this artform. I spoke about the complex role of gypsies in flamenco, a topic people outside of Spain have limited knowledge of. Among the many other talks were such intriguing topics as\u00a0An Archaeology of the Tango Dance\u202619th century Buenos Aires<\/i>\u00a0by John Turci-Escobar, while Daniel Valtue\u00f1a took on the controversial and unorthodox Ni\u00f1o de Elche. Ryan Rockmore dealt with the male appropriation of the\u00a0bata de cola<\/i>, Daniel \u00c1lvarez examined\u00a0The New Sound of Gypsy Evangelicals<\/i>\u00a0and our much-admired friend, Ra\u00fal Rodr\u00edguez, founder of the legendary group Son de la Frontera, gave an entertaining lecture-demo accompanying himself on the Cuban tres.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a few blocks away, C\u00f3rdoba dancer Olga Pericet was performing nightly at the Repertorio Espa\u00f1ol Theater, an intimate venue where she debuted in 2015, and just returned for the fifth extended run this month of October. A fine surprise came her way shortly after arriving in the city when she received a phone call from Spain\u2019s Ministry of Culture informing her she had been awarded the National Prize for Dance \u201cfor her capacity to unite diverse disciplines of Spanish dance, updating them in an interpretive language with a style of her own, for her stage versatility and her valuable capacity to communicate<\/i>\u201d.<\/p>\n
I met with Olga for lunch at a Thai restaurant near the theater, and we spoke briefly before she had to rush off to give a class. I was curious about how the winners of this prestigious prize are selected:<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople suggest candidates, I don\u2019t know exactly how it works\u2026they consider your career, the work you\u2019ve done. It was quite a surprise, I haven\u2019t assimilated it yet.<\/i>\u201d<\/p>\n
The text of the announcement cites \u201cfor uniting diverse disciplines<\/i>\u201d, could you elaborate?<\/p>\n
\u201cYears ago major stars of Spanish dance didn\u2019t limit themselves to flamenco. Carmen Amaya, Argentinita, Antonio el Bailar\u00edn\u2026they had many facets and their shows were varied. Each person has his or her own way of thinking, but I personally believe this is important.<\/i>\u201d<\/p>\n
This is your fifth stint at the Repertorio in four years. To what do you attribute that success?<\/p>\n
\u201cEuropeans actually accept experimentation better, generally speaking, New Yorkers expect a more classic approach. But now they\u2019ve begun to accept my work as long as it\u2019s in communication with tradition. I like flamenco with good singing which is the root, not stepping outside our idiom. Unadorned flamenco is the most authentic contemporary approach.<\/i>\u201d<\/p>\n
What\u2019s your relation to the renowned Pericet family?<\/p>\n
\u201cMy grandfather on my mother\u2019s side was the second cousin of Angel. I\u2019ve met them all, I met Angel and Carmelina at a bolero contest, and I studied with Eloy.<\/i>\u201d<\/p>\n
Tell me a little about the show you brought here\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s inspired in the figure of Carmen Amaya, without aiming for anything biographical, going beyond perceptions and myths to wipe the slate clean and start with a new dialogue. There are three pieces choreographed by Marco Flores, Rafael Est\u00e9vez, Valeriano Pa\u00f1os and myself, respectively.<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cNowadays it seems programmers favor conceptual shows, but you also have to dance for the sake of dancing. My favorite venue is the theater, and I prefer to dance solo in a small group. What we\u2019re doing here represents the first steps towards the show \u2018Un Cuerpo Infinito\u2019 to be presented in Madrid in May\u201d.<\/p>\n
Between bites of a very spicy Thai dish, Olga speaks animatedly and articulately, looking far younger than her years. She is clearly inspired and committed to what she does. When asked to name her favorite singers of those no longer with us, she mentions Valderrama, Morente, Camar\u00f3n and Caracol \u201cand especially Fernanda and Bernarda<\/i>\u201d.<\/p>\n
Asked if she\u2019s disciplined, she responded with characteristic sincerity: \u201cdisciplined but chaotic<\/i>\u201d, possibly the most apt description of Spain\u2019s newest laureate of dance.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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