Flamencollage with Hugo Alvarez

 Compas Company invited the dancer Hugo Alvarez for twice on stage with their show Flamencollage. Once it was also with the dancer Carmel Shelly at Givat Brener, I saw the second time at Tel Aviv without Carmel. 

The musicins: 

Guitar: Ofir Atar

Singers: Shuky Shveiky and Yael Horwitz

Dancers: Mijal Natan, Ayelet Shachar, Moran Ron, Lia Sheinfeld, Maya Shani Palenbaum, Ivelisse Gonzalez,Naama Kassif and Vardit Lousky. I want to write also about the new dancer at the comapny, but I don't really see him as a dancer.... The new guy at the company is Bar Lapid that were kind of his first times on stage with Compas Company. 

Guest dancer: Hugo Alvarez. 

Once again it took me a little while to write about it. Accept the relax - I went to sleep too late at night even without writing about the show. I won't get into all palos in the show. 

So, it did start with all company on stage, including Bar Lapid. All with plamas. Moved to a full dance, after a while without Mijal. As far as I know Bar Lapid since he was a kid and I wanted to see if there was any improve that he could get into the company... At least he can stand better, but still not like a real dancer. He didn't look with self confidence. Maybe I'm wrong, but in some moments it looked like he's looking at others to remember. In some moments it looked that maybe it does happen cause he missed some movements and did it few seconds after the real dancers. There is a circle that happenes a lot in flamenco, I love doing it and watching it, I know it's difficult (even to me it till I learned how to do it well), but... I expect a person who calls himself "a professional dancer" to do it like it's a natural thing. I'm not a a professional dancer and do this circle better than him.... The others on stage were real profassionals.

It went to a solo tarantos of Mijal Natan, with a musical brake between dances. I saw many times before do it, I can't complain. I love this palo and I love the way that she dance it.

There were some more dances in a row of the company, at least the very inside of the girls who are always there: Ayelet, Moran, Maya. And there was one with a choreography of Hugo. Ayelet, Moran, Maya and Naama Kassif did it. I saw it in another version or two before, always fun.

After that - Hugo came to stage for a solo. He brought Ivelisse and Bar to be his palmeros. Hugo was amazing. Not only that his tecnique is crazy, not only that choreography was cray - it was including a lot of humor on stage. And he didn't let Ivelisse and Bar just stay on the side for the palmas, he operated them. At least at this part Bar did function. 

It finished with all dancers of the comapny accept Mijal on stage. Once again - with Bar who forgot that he made to function as a palmero. He still wasn't good enough, and it was too easy to see when he tried to dance with some real dancers. 

Fin la fiesta - all were on stage. Solos of dancing - the musicians did it. Just to see that the simple things can be fun. They did it simple and funny, there was no need for more. Bar made to. He did lots of legs work, something pretty crazy that some would say it less good for fin la fiesta. He can do some things, but it didn't look good. All went out together, Bar made it again... THose things should look like a surprise, even if the plac all do together for the going out. He started before all when it was clear that Hugo made the sign to start. 

I met some people at the audience, I went also to say "hello" to the dancers and musicians, but that's another story.

בבל

Compas Company
Photos by Oliver Miller

 

Vitage

Some more photos of Vitrage

The new production of Compas Company
Photos by Ronen Rosenblatt

 

After watching Vitrage

 Compas Company have a new show. A production called Vitrage. I went to the premiere. The differnce for a start - 6 different dances. Mijal Natan took other choreographers to build this show. Usually when she does it - she brings choreographers from Spain. This time all from Israel, not all from flamenco. It became a mix of flamenco with modern. 

For a start there was a dance made by Yadin Miller. He does flamenco, but not only. So, the young dancers of Compas Company made it. It means Ayelet Shachar, Moran Ron, Maya Shani Palenbaum, Yaeli Zeituni who started recently to dance with the company, and the new purch - Naama Kassif. With them was Vardi Lousky. It was a real mix between flamenco with modern. Half looked like modern with some touchings of flamenco. After a while it looked like flamenco with some touching of modern. And the music was a mix of flamenco, metal and Jewish music. I really loved the mix of flamenco with rock music. 

There was a part that the music and vision was made by Raly Margalit. Ayelet Shcahar helped to make it to a flamenco dance. 

And there was a dance made by Line Haddad who was also dancing. It stated with kinda flamenco with suitcases, all dancers with guest dancers. Became a duet that more looks like tango. Third part-  all dressed in red and a part which is not flamenco at all (accept the dresses which remind flamenco). It looked to me like a musical at Broadway. I guess that the Broadway this comes because Line Haddad comes from ice skating and things like this. 

After that - a dance made by Michaela Harari. It was with the young dancers of the company, some Music that sounds like ancient Turkish style. Talya Yona Kliger joined, sang a bit, started to drum on a cajon, it started more flamenco. After that it became more "puro" flamenco. I think that this dance was a strong part at this show. At this part - once again Vardit Lousky joined the girls. 

And there was a short dance but very "puro". The choreographer is Ayelet Shachar and the perfomer dancer is Yulia Teller. I think it's a very powerful part. Not only it didn't try to be modern, I love everything Ayelet Shachar does, and now I had the chance to know Yulia Teller. Yulia isn't a part of the company and even at the studio - I didn't see her many times. First time was recently during a rehearsal to this part. She was so amazing and natural that at the first time I didn't notice anything unusual. Well... A car crash made her without a leg. Yulia has a prosthetic leg and she was dancing with it, didn't try to hide it. And she danced like anyone who dance on stage. It's nothing but usual. I think that it's an amazing thing to do. 

For the end was a dance made by Hadas Nestel. She used to be at the company since she was 16 years old, has been for few years, now she has her on way. She made a dance now as an outsider. Mijal Natan and the girls of the company danced. A part with a table. Near the end Talya Kliger joined to sing. I loved this dance as well. 

By the way - between all dances were transition sections which made also by Hadas Nestel for the show, performed by all dancers who were on stage, Talya Kliger was at two of them as well. 

After the show there was an option to stay for a talk. I prefered to stay but talk more private with whom that I could

Vitrage

Vitrage

The new show of Compas Company

During a rehearsal Photos by Talia Yona Kliger