Concrete Playground

Flamenco is one of those art forms that plays tricks on your mind. Many people think of Spain as a pan-flamenco nation, for one, and so are confounded when unable to find the flamboyant rhythms and flourishes of the dance in the north. Born in the fiery southern region of Andalucia, flamenco's history ducks and weaves through poetic and political lines, becoming a physical polyglot of Arabic, Spanish, Jewish and Gypsy traditions.

Eva Yerbabuena, the pre-eminent Spanish flamenco dancer, rides the ambiguity of flamenco's spirit with her own passionate fervour. Having lived her entire life within its embrace, Yerbabuena teases and tweaks flamenco through her work to demonstrate that there are no true conventions in this art form.

It is hard to discern where flamenco and Yerbabuena end, if at all, as the audible rhythms of her feet flow up and through her body, into a mix of contemporary music, jazz improvisation and familiar Spanish sounds. Accompanying Yerbabuena is her guitarist husband, Paco Jarano, whose virtuoso craft guides an ensemble of guitarists, vocalists and a percussionist.

Flamenco lovers, both long-term and those yet to realise, must do everything in their power to experience this wonder in its limited Sydney season.

Video from Pulse: A Stomp Odyssey (2002)