La Fiesta

“I think that celebration is at once the expression and the necessary component of my culture.” Fiesta is the manifestation of a specific aspect of Spanish culture, which expresses itself throughout the year through festivals and religious celebrations, carnivals and pilgrimages. But it is also a precise and codified moment in a flamenco show in which the performers announce the finale by switching roles (fin de fiesta). When Israel Galván thinks of those moments, the Andalusian choreographer is reminded of artists for whom celebration was work and lost their intrinsic necessity, or of thousands of people like caught in a vice on the street, prisoners of compact crowds its cannot escape. Those celebrations have nothing to do with those of his community, of family. Intimate celebrations through which “can appear a certain violence, a certain eroticism, in a sort of general feeling of liberation.” He has chosen to bring together unique dancers and musicians (Emilio Caracafé, El Junco, Ramón Martínez, Niño de Elche, Uchi), and not only flamenco performers (Eloísa Cantón, Minako Seki, Alia Sellami), for he believes that a voice becomes flamenca as soon as it is accompanied by flamenco music. Israel Galván doesn't just try to render the truth of his fiesta, largely unknown to the public, a truth that can stand separation between the arts that make it up almost as little as it can too much preparation, he also seeks to experience this feeling forbidden to the great soloists of his art: to be one with the group, to experience something greater than himself. Bringing his Fiesta to the Cour d'honneur will give him that chance.

Design, artistic direction and choreography Israel Galván
Dramaturgy Pedro G. Romero
Collaboration at direction Patricia Caballero and Carlos Marquerie
Music Israel Galván and Niño de Elche
Collaboration with the director Patricia Caballero
Stage design Pablo Pujol
Lights Carlos Marquerie
Sound Pedro León
Costumes Peggy Housset
Assistant director Balbina Parra

With Eloísa Cantón, Emilio Caracafé, Israel Galván, El Junco, Ramón Martínez, Niño de Elche, Minako Seki, Alia Sellami, Uchi
With the collaboration of the Byzantine Ensemble Polytropon
Direction Panagiotis Andriopoulos
Voices Panagiotis Andriopoulos, Roni Bou Saba, Charalampos Kalapanidas, Dimitrios Karadimas

Production A Negro Producciones
Co-production Festspielhaus St. Pölten, Théâtre de la Ville/La Villette-Paris, Festival d'Avignon, Théâtre de Nîmes Scène conventionnée pour la danse contemporaine, Sadlers Wells-London, Movimentos Festwochen der Autostadt (Wolfsburg), MA Scène nationale - Pays de Montbéliard, Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, Théâtre de l'Archipel Scène nationale de Perpignan, Teatro Central de Séville, L'Onde – Théâtre et Centre d'art de Vélizy-Villacoublay
With the support of l'Agence andalouse d'institutions culturelles - Consejería de cultura - Junta de Andalucía, Institut andalou du flamenco, INAEM - Ministère de l'Éducation, de la Culture et du Sport d'Espagne, of the Adami for the 71th edition of the Festival d'Avignon and of the Fondation BNP Paribas for the dance programmation
With the help of Grec Festival of Barcelona, Temporada Alta - Festival de Tardor
de Catalunya (Gérone), Aichi Prefectural Arts Theater (Nagoya)