UK: NOELIA VICENTE, THE "NEW SENSATION OF FLAMENCO", HAS MADE A STUNNING LONDON DEBUT

Record ID: 391232

  • Title: UK: NOELIA VICENTE, THE "NEW SENSATION OF FLAMENCO", HAS MADE A STUNNING LONDON DEBUT
  • Date: 23rd April 2001
  • Summary: DANCE EXTRACT
  • Embargoed: 8th May 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Entertainment,General
  • Reuters ID: LVACM8V0E1KDEFHNNCREZPLBC8NQ
  • Story Text: The woman dubbed the "new sensation of flamenco" has made a stunning London debut. Noelia Vicente thrilled audiences at the Sadler's Wells theatre with her interpretation of "The Muse" in Paco Pena's "Musa Gitana"

    ("The Gypsy Muse"). It is a hot tale of passion, and unbridled sensuality, loosely based on the work of the controversial Spanish artist, Julio Romero de Torres.
    Noelia Vicente, the 23 year old Argentinean flamenco star, has made a thrilling London debut at Sadler's Wells theatre, dancing the title role of "Musa" in "Musa Gitana", "The Gypsy Muse".
    The flamenco ballet has been composed by the flamenco virtuoso Paco Pena, acknowledged as one of the world's great guitarists. It is based on the work of the controversial Spanish artist Julio Romero de Torres (1874 - 1930), and, in particular, one work, "Naranjas y Limones" ("Oranges and Lemons").
    Torres was fascinated by women and the female form, using his models symbolically to express human passion, love, jealousy, faith and betrayal. The public was often shocked by his nude and semi-nude paintings of women, including young gypsies. Torres specialized in taking conventional icons and using them to shock the public by delivering a substantially different message - the sacred would become more secular and even profane, at times.
    Torres was a colourful character, and used to wander the streets of Cordoba, with a hat and cane, and a faithful dog.
    He became obsessed with the world of flamenco, and often used to depict it in his art, especially in his best known painting, "Cante Hondo".
    In "Naranjas y Limones", a woman is portrayed naked. In Pena's ballet, the woman's lover, Novio, played by Angel Munoz, sees the portrait and is overcome with jealousy. He goes into a mood of despair and unstoppable fury, and eventually he kills the woman he loves. Pena says that this was a real episode in the life of Torres : "A young gypsy dancer who had modeled for him was killed by her boyfriend.
    Wrongly, too, because Romero wasn't after the woman sexually, he was in love with his art and he wanted to immortalize her."
    The ballet uses a series of paintings by Torres to depict the unfolding tragedy. Paco Pena says "I was inspired to investigate Torres' work, having been brought up in the same square in Cordoba in Southern Spain. The story provided the inspiration for the ballet. I'm not too concerned with details - more of the inspiration."
    "Musa Gitana" stars Noelia Vicente, the 23 year old dance sensation from Argentina, who was recently discovered by Pena dancing in a flamenco club in southern Spain. Although a "beginner" in flamenco in some senses, having danced for "only" eleven years, Noelia is being seen by some as the new rival to the explosive flamenco showbiz star, Joaquin Cortez, whose artistry has been questioned by the critics (especially those in London) but whose talents have provided a massive public hit.
    Paco Pena divides his time between his home in Cordoba and London. He is also a professor of flamenco in Rotterdam, Holland, and even gave the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, lessons in the instrument. He made his London debut in 1963 and in 1970 founded his flamenco company which has toured round the world.
    Pena has been described by the New York Times as "a dazzling virtuoso capable of dazzling an audience with technical abilities beyond the frets of mortal man."
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