World famous spanish flamenco dancer Sara Baras is set to light up London with passion, fire and heart in the UK premiere of Voces, Suite Flamenca.
With an inspiring 20 yr flamenco career, her own dance company, countless accolades and creative projects, Sara Baras talks to The Wonderful World of Dance about her inspirations for her new show….
Your UK premiere of Voces, Suite Flamenca is being presented at Sadler’s Wells as part of the Flamenco Festival London, can you tell us about your show?
Voces presents a journey through the different styles of flamenco like taranta, seguirilla, soleá, farruca, romance, tientos, bulerías, tangos… Voces was born from the need to thank our teachers for everything they have given us, and continue to give us, because their influence enables us to express our own voice.
What was your inspiration for Voces, Suite Flamenca?
Respect, admiration and love for our teachers, to whom we owe so much. I found inspiration in their advice, in the moments I shared with them, in everything I’ve been fortunate to learn from them, and in their voices that we kept in our hearts.
Can you describe what it feels like performing Flamenco on stage?
It is very hard to put into words. The first thing that comes to mind is heart, passion, feeling, concentration, silence, rhythm, pain, generosity, speed and pleasure.
Flamenco is an explosive and emotional dance, how do you prepare for your performances?
For this show it’s easier because when we go to the theatre – for sound check and warm-up – we already have the image of our teachers (Paco de Lucía, Camarón, Enrique Morente, Antonio Gades, Moraíto and Carmen Amaya) in our minds, so the inspiration comes quickly.
You’ve had an extraordinary dance career of over 20 years, what has been your highlight?
When I realised my name began to mean something, and could therefore help people. My dance is more meaningful when it reaches people who need it.
What inspired you to establish Ballet Flamenco Sara Baras and what’s next for the company?
I established my own company because I needed to show the world how I felt, but I never thought I could reach so far. We will reach 20 years soon, which makes me feel very proud. It is very important to always remember that we owe everything to the public, our audience, because my company is a private company.
After London, we are going to Jerez, Rome, Cordoba, Barcelona, Istanbul, Chile and Athens. The tour of Voces is turning out beautifully. We are also going to present a documentary and collaborating with “Mi princes Rett” festival, trying to do our bit helping people in need.
Flamenco has a long history, can you tell us about what it means to you?
I feel very proud of being a ‘Flamenca’ and belonging to an art form characterized by such richness and difficulty. Flamenco is a way of life and I’m fortunate to be able to feel it from the bottom of my soul.
You can see the UK premiere of Voces, Suite Flamenca at Sadler’s Wells as part of the Flamenco Festival London 2016.
A celebrated staple of London’s dance calendar, the annual Flamenco Festival returns to Sadler’s Wells for the 13th year from Tuesday 16 – Sunday 28 February, representing the varied styles of the time-honoured artform with performances from some of the world’s finest flamenco dancers and musicians.