As explained by the performance’s main star, the flamenco dancer Josie “La Galesa”, the title of the show, Alegrías, means happiness, quite a precious commodity in the times of anxiety and uncertainty. For this reason, this interactive flamenco performance is worth a watch, not only by those who missed out on their vacation in the south of Spain.
Brujas Flamenco, the all-female international trio, would have debuted at Edinburgh Fringe 2020. Surely, they would have been a dazzling attraction for the festival’s audience, always hungry for dance, music, entertainment and visualised emotions – all the Fringe is about. Therefore, Alegrías constitutes yet another reason to long for the Edinburgh Festival once again.
Alegrías, a part of Online@TheSpace program, is an interactive performance that brings together three flamenco artists separated by oceans and time zones – the guitarist Eri González in Uruguay, the singer Carmen Yruela in Spain and the already mentioned dancer Josie “La Galesa” in the UK. The latter also delivers a mini-lecture about flamenco and even encourages the online audience to join her in clapping the passionate rhythm of the song.
It is quite impressive how the three artists managed to become one flamenco flesh, despite the distance. The dancer and the guitarist, in particular, have the magical connection together as though they were performing on one stage. Josie’s hands and feet, tapping the flamenco beat, create a fascinating dialogue with the strings of González’s guitar.
Aesthetically, it is not this pleasing, unfortunately. The dance performance is filmed professionally in the studio but the footages of both the singer and the guitarist, appearing and disappearing from the screen, resemble the sign language interpreter in the lower corner of your TV. Without them, however, a stunning effect of the organic performance would not have been possible.
Nevertheless, it is the dancer Josie “La Galesa” who steals the show. With her astonishingly flexible body, her feet tapping the floor endlessly and her hands hitting her chest almost organically, she is a mesmerising performer. She really does bring happiness to this weird reality of online theatre.
