Two shows at Sadler’s Wells reveal the range of influences and restless experimentation that are key to the ever-progressing art form
Since the annual flamenco festival was first staged at Sadler’s Wells in 2003 the idea of what flamenco is has been stretched, ruptured and remoulded multiple times. One of its hits last year was Manuel Liñán’s ¡Viva! which saw Liñán and company kitted out in full female costumes, giving expression to their queer identities. (Liñán was nominated for both a National Dance award and an Olivier.)
Liñán is back this year, in an all-male gala show, and in a more low-key offering, Amor Amado Amén, which muses on love. It’s the result of a week’s residency at Sadler’s Wells, just five days in the studio with three collaborators: flamenco guitarist Francisco Vinuesa, multi-instrumentalist and psycho-sensory therapist Sabio Janiak and Croatian healer and spiritual coach Ivan Bavcevic. Not all conventional people to share the stage with.
