Flamenco Restaurant Marks Anniversary With the Grecos

To celebrate its 35th anniversary, the flamenco restaurant El Cid is presenting a program featuring genuine flamenco royalty: Mr. and Mrs. Jose Greco II.

Now 34, Greco Jr. has long since moved out of his father’s shadow to become a star of unique heat and incandescence. At the final El Cid preview performance Wednesday, he ventured a brilliant Farruca solo full of ballet influences--multiple floor turns merging with air turns ending on one knee, for instance. But it was the volatile expressivity of Greco’s mobile shoulders, long arms and slashing hands that commanded the most attention on a stage where sightline problems make footwork impossible to see from most of the house.

Unfailingly graceful in her skirt-swirling Alegrias solo, Cristina Greco danced opposite her husband in a spirited Solea por Bulerias segment and in the finale, neatly matching his intricate step-rhythms without drawing from him the intensity he has found with other partners--Pilar Serrano at Ambassador Auditorium in 1993, for example. But they certainly looked happy--and beautiful--together.

Guitarist Gino D’Auri and singer El Pelete provided powerful musicianship throughout the program, which also featured Lorinda Mercado and Margo Guiterrez dancing an artful unaccompanied duet, plus three other performances by the El Cid female dancers.

* Jose and Cristina Greco dance at 8 and 10 p.m. tonight and Saturday, and at 9 p.m. Sunday at El Cid Flamenco Dinner Theater, 4212 W. Sunset Blvd., (213) 668-0318. Arrival and dinner: One hour before performance. Tickets: $32 (includes dinner).