Dance Review : Jose Greco Company Delivers a Mixed Bill

The Jose Greco Company of Spanish dancers, singers and musicians looks and feels like a family, which is no surprise: Greco has brought together his two sons and his daughter, and combined them with other artists in a multifaceted performance troupe.

His ensemble includes Miguel Cara Estaca, a compact man of a certain age who dances as if to keep demons at bay, his face alive with memories and dreams.

The program offered frequent change-ups, romantic duets alternating with precise folk dances, cascading ruffled gowns with peasant skirts. The clatter of heels and castanets played against delicate steps picked out in soft shoes. Accompaniments were alternately live and recorded; Greco’s son, Jose Luis, is music director.

Of the younger generation, Jose Greco II combines the line and flash of a virtuoso with a welcoming warmth. Both dancer and choreographer, he tossed off rapid spins, spiraling to the floor and rising with impeccable clarity. Pilar Serrano, tall and lithe, partnered him in “Amor Gitano,” a conversation in rhythm and line.

Greco Senior’s appearances were few but choice. La Conja, La Chispa, Marisol and La Tormenta rounded out the female contingent. Fringed or ruffled, tempestuous or coy, they portrayed the moods of a society that values sensuality.