Juan Martin Flamenco

Juan Martin is an acknowledged master of the flamenco style. Even solo or as part of his ensemble band, he is fluent in the melancholic and joyous moods, capturing, as he suggests to the audience, something of the music’s essence. Between meandering solos and the more focussed group numbers, he displays his musical versatility and delight in performance.

The two dancers - one male and one female, Racquel de Luna and Le Tigre – are essentially members of the group, providing both spectacular physicality and the stamping rhythms that connect Martin’s flourishing solos to an earthier pulse. Although they manage to avoid the clichéd stereotype of the exotic flamenco dancer, with the male dances being especially dynamic, they are very much a traditional outfit, celebrating those idealised memories of sun, passion and energy.

The set is perfectly balanced, giving time for Martin’s technique, the dancers’ show-stopping and the group’s tight orchestration: Manuel Jimenez is an affecting vocalist, and the addition of light percussion expands the sound. De Luna and Le Tigre take turns to beguile and excite, offering an easily accessible show that still has something for the connoisseur.

If there is any disappointment, it is the venue. The Queens’ Hall has a lovely acoustic, but its low stage is less suited to performance. The dancers’ feet are not visible from much of the auditorium, and the austere church interior detracts from the atmospheric conjuring of the flamenco.

Nevertheless, this is a memorable, glamorous evening that evokes both seriousness and drama. Perhaps more suited to lovers of Spanish music than dance – more due to the auditorium than the hard working performers – it revels in the best that tradition and technique can offer.