Dance Review : An Emotional Evening of Spanish Classical Dance

Really big music in a really small theater is a concept that worked well for the first half of a program by Espan~a Clasica at the Fountain Theatre in Hollywood on Friday night. Choreographer-director Roberto Amaral surrounded himself with dramatic, technically adept dancers whose solos and duets were further enhanced by sumptuous costumes (also by Amaral) and moody lighting (by Scott Tuomey).

Each of the short works was set to taped orchestral selections, all elaborately emotional and melodic works by composers such as Manuel de Falla, Enrique Granados and Isaac Albeniz. Especially appealing were solos by Antonia Lopez, a compact dancer who moved masterfully from sensuous hip sways to brisk intricate footwork accented by trilling castanets (a skill at which the entire company excels). With Amaral in the flamencoesque duet “Triana” (a premiere with music by Albeniz), the smoldering reached a fevered pitch.

The tiny Fountain is a perfect spot for artists like Lopez and Amaral, who look ready for the closest scrutiny. Batista is also in this category, with her fleet balletic footwork in “Sonatina” (music by R. Halffter), and her charm and musicality throughout. However, the theater’s intimate atmosphere sometimes worked against Carola Marquez and Maruja Belmonte, revealing slight problems with weight shifts and worried faces.

But even when the dancing was excellent--which it often was--there are, perhaps, only so many times in one evening you can be asked to soar on the ferociously romantic rhythms of various “big music” selections. In the second act especially, Amaral’s tendency to emphasize only the most obvious musical dynamics began to wear. At that point, what started out very grand seemed to become grandiose.