A little bit of Latin fever in Lincoln Review of ‘Vida’

by Karin Jones

It was Saturday night, the Drill Hall in Lincoln was full and as the lights went down we knew we were in for a treat.

The stunning production of Vida, meaning life in Spanish, was choreographed by Diane Pickard of Fiesta Flamenco and Nikki Mclusky of FreeSpirit Dance, two local dance companies, and what an incredible job they did. It showed how traditional Spanish Flamenco dance can be put together with a more contemporary style to provide a show that was exciting, colourful and energetic - even to the untrained eye.

Inspired by the Mexican festival ‘El Dia de los Muertos’ (the Day of the Dead), a beautiful and ancient ritual to lovingly and happily remember dead relatives, their lives and, in this way, give meaning and continuity to human existence; Vida is an innovative interpretation presented by vibrant performers who brought their passion for dance to the stage in spectacular style.

The show started with the Flamenco troupe - the living - in the shadows against the orange glow of the backdrop and they grabbed the audience’s attention immediately with their fantastic foot work and elegant arm movements. The starting sequence showed what a dramatic and passionate dance that Flamenco is and the audience were captivated straight away by its pulsating rhythm.

The lights came up a little as the dance continued and revealed how colourful and ornate the Flamenco dresses were. Fitting the girls perfectly the dresses complemented the movement and angles of their bodies and arms, making the dance steps even more dramatic by the outlines and profiles that were created.

One example of this is a pose at the end of the Alegrias, danced in the bata de cola (the long tailed skirts) where the dancer leans back and because of the position of the skirt it looks like an almost impossible angle for the dancer to maintain.

The contemporary dancers - the Souls - were made up like ghosts and with their floaty costumes and white painted faces provided an interesting contrast to the colourful Flamenco dancers. There were two men in the contemporary troupe, and one in particular captured the ghostly theme incredibly well because of his blonde hair and his graceful performance.

One of the many highlights was the dance between the lead dancer of Fiesta Flamenco, Diane Pickard and the lead dancer of FreeSpirit Dance, Nikki Mclusky. This demonstrated how the two styles of dance could mesh together easily in a captivating way with the two dancers each showing off the very best of their genre. The audience almost held their breath at this time as their steps weaved intricately together creating a beautiful and alluring sequence.

The dancers ranged from 6 to nearly 50 years old and proved that different ages and abilities can all work together to provide a varied and interesting show. For many it was the first time they had performed in public. The troupe of young dancers – Los Angelitos – whose ages ranged from 6 to 13, were particularly amazing to watch as their faces showed immense concentration as they meandered their way around the stage ensuring their performance was foot perfect.

They looked adorable in their traditional costumes and floral head dresses and the only small boy in the group looked like ‘the cat that had got the cream’ as he danced around with the girls. A highlight of the show for one of the little girls must have been the job of giving the ballet shoes to Nikki Mclusky – so that she could perform a short ballet piece to the delight of the audience. This was a lovely part of the show especially the point work which was exquisite.

The music that was chosen was both dramatic and enchanting and gave the show a great pace that never faltered, even if the dance itself was a slow number. Most people were tapping their feet along with the music and where appropriate clapping - something which really helped to make the audience feel part of the show.

My favourite dance had to be the ‘fan dance’ performed by the Flamenco dancers. As they twirled and twisted they looked so graceful, yet powerful, and the moment that each dancer flicked out their fan, one at a time, was timed perfectly for dramatic effect.

All too soon we reached the finale and the lights went up. It was then the turn of the audience to be on their feet, this time for a standing ovation - which was well and truly deserved!

Article released for publication to Sleaford Standard, Grantham Journal, Newark Advertiser and Lincolnshire Echo