The BNE performed ‘Chacona’ and ‘Zapateado’ at the tribute to Javier Latorre

In line with one of the objectives he has set himself as director of the BNE, Rubén Olmo revived two works from the repertoire for this tribute to Javier Latorre, who also created choreographies for the BNE such as Luz de alma (1998), Poeta (1998), El loco (2004) and Ángeles caídos (2012). The pieces chosen for this gala in aid of the Arco Iris Foundation, held as part of the National Flamenco Art Competition in Córdoba, were Chacona and Zapateado de Sarasate.

Chacona is a bolero-style creation by Victoria Eugenia ‘Betty’ for Maribel Gallardo, with music by José Nieto. The BNE premiered it on 28^th July 1990 at the Herodes Atticus Theatre in Athens (Greece). The dancer tasked with performing it at the Gran Teatro de Córdoba was Miriam Mendoza, a soloist with the BNE, who wore the same dress designed by Pedro Moreno for the premiere of this lively piece. She demonstrated to the Córdoba audience her mastery of the difficult discipline of the bolero school, a dance performed on pointe, like classical ballet, which also makes use of one of the most distinctive elements of Spanish dance: castanets.

Francisco Velasco, principal guest dancer with the BNE, took on the challenging task of performing the technically demanding piece Zapateado de Sarasate, Antonio Ruiz Soler’s most iconic solo. The dancer and director of the BNE premiered the piece in 1946 at the Teatro Bellas Artes in Mexico and revived it with the Ballet Nacional on 14^th June 1981 at the Teatro Lope de Vega in Seville. As David Hornillo wrote in the newspaper Cordópolis: “Velasco gave an exquisite performance, showcasing the technique and precision of his footwork. It is a dance full of nuance and expressiveness. In the standing solos, when the music ceased, the dancer perfectly reproduced the melody of the main theme of this well-known piece. He drew applause from the audience on numerous occasions, and truly, it was no surprise.”

For Javier Latorre, winner of the 2011 National Dance Award, it was one of the most important nights of his life, as he confessed. In addition to the Ballet Nacional de España, the tribute featured performances by, amongst others, the Andalusian Flamenco Ballet, the dancers Eva Yerbabuena, Marco Flores, Cristian Lozano, Tamara López, Shoji Kojima, Pedro de Córdoba, Karen Lugo, Mara Martín and Encarna López; the musicians Víctor el Tomate, Juan Campallo, Tino Van der Sman, Juan Gómez ‘Chicuelo’, Pedro Navarro, and Paco Jarana; and the flamenco singers Enrique El Extremeño, Tomás García, El Londro, Mellizo, and Antonio Campos.