Remangar Flamenco Company Temblor (Tremor), Herzliya, October 25.
By ORA BRAFMANRemangar Flamenco Company Temblor (Tremor)(photo credit: SHLOMI DOR)
A decade ago, Keren and Avner Pesach returned to Israel after a long stay in Spain, where they studied and performed with Los Farrucos, one of Spain’s most distinguished flamenco families. They settled in Jerusalem and founded Remangar, a Flamenco company dedicated to conservative ‘Pure Flamenco’ style, setting new standards locally for professional flamenco performances. Concurrently in Spain the new flamenco that challenges the rigid discipline is gaining momentum.Remangar’s recent show Temblor maintains their intention to follow tradition and present the main flamenco components in meticulous shape. It was a particular pleasure to listen to the highly gifted guest guitarist Andres Hernandez of Seville, who developed a uniquely singular sound. The second Spanish guest was Jose Anillo Salazar, a well-known Flamenco singer. Both lifted the production which included five musicians and five dancers.Keren Pesach and Avner, her partner, have been dancing together for many years, though she was the one who dominated the floor with her strong technique, temperament and powerful presence. Unfortunately, nowadays Avner could no longer contribute much as a dancer except his inner passion. He did himself a favor when he kept his dancing to a minimum and joined the musicians playing the piano.It soon became clear that the dance’s group sections received less attention and performance time vis-a-vis the instrumental and singing sections. As long as the dancers executed their complex steps and phrases in sync they really looked fine, dancing in pleasing unison, a role similar to that of the “corps de ballet” which serves as a background for the ballet’s soloists.Keren had ample time and space to prove once more that she is a captivating Flamenco dancer, as she liberally improvised along the musicians, yet consequently neglected to some extent her role as the evening’s choreographer.In spite of the reservations, the evening’s festive energy included exciting moments of artistic quality, showcasing the company’s aspiration to bring over the essence of the Spanish soul, embedded in the pure flamenco.
