Flamenco troupe takes up an ancient story

As someone who would happily pay to watch Soledad Barrio drink coffee in her kitchen, I was excited to hear that this remarkable, much-honored dancer - star of the Madrid troupe Noche Flamenca - would be returning to Philadelphia after a lengthy absence. Thursday through Saturday the Annenberg Center presents the East Coast premiere of Antigona, an innovative work by Martín Santangelo, the company's artistic director and Barrio's husband.

Antigona is based on Sophocles' classical Greek tragedy Antigone. It tells the story of a heroic young woman who defies Thebes' ruler by burying her brother, Polyneices, who had fought on the wrong side during the recent civil war. His corpse was therefore supposed to remain on the battlefield, to be picked at by carrion birds. For her disobedience, Antigone is sentenced to death, but she commits suicide.

Often, when Spanish-dance companies create narrative works, they lose their way. Traditional flamenco doesn't use - or need - "stories." While its mood may be tragic or celebratory, there is no literal relationship between a dancer's movements and the singer's lyrics. Instead, the performers use their collective skills to evoke emotional responses from the audience, through abstract means.

Throughout its 21 years, Noche Flamenca has been one of the only companies, anywhere, that gives equal weight to the three basic elements of flamenco: cante (singing), toque (guitar playing), and baile (dancing). In other flamenco troupes the instrumentalists and singers sit at the back of the stage, hidden in semidarkness. But, in Noche Flamenca's usual programs - made up of unrelated solos, duets, and ensemble work - Santangelo makes sure that his exceptionally skilled singers and musicians are front and center, where the audience can see them and the dancers can interact with them in an intimate, thrilling, manner.

Therefore, at first it seems strange for Santangelo to create an evening-long work based on a well-known play.

In a pair of recent phone interviews (first from New York City, where Noche Flamenca had just finished a two-week engagement at the Joyce Theater, and then from Florida, where the troupe was preparing a one-night performance), Santangelo said he was inspired to create Antigona by the 2008 case of Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzón. The prominent jurist lost his job because of his investigations into Francoist crimes against humanity during and after the Spanish Civil War. In the most emotionally charged aspect of this case, Garzón ordered that 19 mass graves be opened, and the bodies identified and returned to relatives for proper burial.

As Santangelo noted, "For me, Judge Garzón is an Antigone. He was concerned with human rights, in the face of [danger], because he thinks all people should be treated fairly and equally." He added, "I chose to do this story because the story has to be told, again and again, not simply to create 'a narrative flamenco work.' "

Santangelo was also aware of psychological parallels: "The catharsis that Sophocles and the other ancient Greek playwrights looked for in their dramas also exists in flamenco."

Other choreographers - notably Martha Graham - have used Greek drama as inspiration. As a New York City native whose mother was a professional modern dancer, Santangelo was familiar with Graham's work. But, interestingly, he said he draws much of his theatrical inspiration from another American modern dancer, Beverly Blossom, who died just a few weeks ago.

The connection may seem tenuous, since her New York Times obituary described Blossom as "one of the most distinguished - and zaniest - solo performers in modern dance." Still, Santangelo notes, "She was an amazing technician, with the most beautiful arms." Blossom, he said, made him "realize what dance could be . . . and made me [excited about] storytelling."

Antigona's singers play especially important roles. While Barrio embodies the title character, one of the four singers (Manuel Gago) assumes the role of Creon, king of Thebes, while Pepe el Bocadillo is the blind seer Tiresias. In addition to singing, both men speak, reciting parts of Sophocles' text - in Spanish. (English translations will be projected onto the rear wall.) Despite their extensive performing backgrounds, neither singer had previous acting experience. So, Santangelo admits, "at first they were terrified. Then they began to love it."

Other aspects of this production are equally innovative. In addition to Barrio and the singers, the cast includes: two flamenco guitarists plus an electric guitar player; one percussionist; seven other flamenco dancers; and David Thomas, a highly regarded hip-hop dancer from The Bronx. Thomas is Eteocles, Antigone's other brother, who dies in combat with Polyneices.

Santangelo explains that the incorporation of hip-hop into a flamenco performance was partly the result of helping one of his two teenage daughters find a good hip-hop dance class in New York. (The family has been spending more time in New York, since both girls opted to attend schools in the northeastern U.S.) Asked how Thomas fit in with the Spanish-born members of the troupe, Santangelo said: "It was not an issue, because he is so gifted rhythmically that he understood the rhythms we were doing, right away. Everyone was impressed."

Antigona

Thursday through Saturday at the Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut St.

Tickets: $20-$75.

Information: 215-898-3900 or www.AnnenbergCenter.org

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