As the new show Inicio sets out to prove, modern Spanish dancing isn’t just about frilly costumes and stomping feet. In fact, as Deborah McNamara tells Jo Caruana, that’s barely the start of it.

Flamenco dancing can get a bad rap. Some critics argue that the music is repetitive and the style monotonous – but that could be because they haven’t ever experienced Nuevo Flamenco or Danza Estilizada, two styles that bring a fresh, new approach to flamenco dancing and which have come to thrill fans worldwide. And now, for the first time, a local dance company is choosing to focus on them and bring them to the fore.

“Although I have been teaching Spanish dance on the Island for 32 years, I never previously aspired to have a dance company,” says Deborah McNamara, who teaches Spanish Dance at Estudio de Danza and recently co-founded Compañia Danza. “I have been content to teach and mentor students instead, and always encouraged my students to further their training overseas once they had graduated locally.”

Nevertheless, Deborah had a change of heart last year when she was dancing in Valencia and was approached by the director of the Stuttgart festival and invited to take part. She admits to being a bit sceptical at first as she tends to be very self-critical but, after some encouragement from the Spanish faculty present who commented that the level of Flamenco and Spanish dance had really risen in Malta, she began to chew on the idea.

A few months down the line and with renowned Flamenco dancer Robert Scicluna as her co-founder, Compañia Danza was born. “Having Robert join the team was important to me as I believe in having a second eye on each project, and having someone to bounce ideas off. At first I was very keen to have an underlying theme for the company, or to give our show a possible a story as I love drama and theatrics. Robert, on the other hand, was keen to show the diversity and contrast of Spanish Dance and Flamenco.”

Now, the resulting company ethos is to develop a fresh and modern approach to Nuevo Flamenco and Danza Estilizada without pretention and in keeping with the dancers identities. “Do not expect lavish frilly costumes and constant stamping,” Deborah says with a smile. “The company’s work is more about contrasting movement – slick, light and dynamic but always passionate, sensuous and rhythmical.

We want our audience to feel the dancers’ emotions and to leave the theatre enriched by the beautiful, ever-changing diversity of Spanish dance

“After all, Spanish Dance and Flamenco are forever evolving, and with the inspiration of current flamenco dancers such as Angel Muñoz and Inmaculada Ortega, who have choreographed some of the dances being performed in Inicio, we hope to enlighten our audience to the ever-changing world of Spanish dance,” she says.

The company is now working towards its first show, Inicio (The Beginning), which will be held on December 8 at the Blue Box Theatre in Msida. The show doesn’t have a set theme or plot but will instead blend contemporary dance and Flamenco to suit its performers physiques and temperaments.

“As for the venue, well we have chosen a very intimate space as we want our audience to feel the dancers’ emotions and to leave the theatre enriched by the beautiful, ever-changing diversity of Spanish Dance in all its forms.”

Aside from Scicluna, the show will feature the talents of Irene Zarb Adami, Roxana Dimech, Lilia Gingell, Yanica Fenech, Amanda Ellul Bonici, Daphne Farrugia, and Elena Zammit, with guest performances by Deborah Falzon, Bettina Von Brockdorff, Federica Scollo and Katerina Voulgari. “I have taught these dancers from an early age and it has been an interesting journey to step out of our comfort zones and push ourselves further,” McNamara continues.

In addition, it will also feature Angel Muñoz and Charo Espino, both of whom are award-winning dancers from Seville who have performed worldwide.

“We hope that Inicio will prove to be a completely new experience for our audience, and that we can bring this event back annually to really showcase the ever-changing face of Spanish dance.

“Now, with just days to go until the one-off performance, I have seen quite how different this show is and look forward to the final results. Whatever they may be, I hope our audience leaves feeling enriches and enlightened – especially if they weren’t fan of Flamenco beforehand,” she adds.

Inicio takes place on December 8 at BlueBox, M Space, Msida at 8pm.  Tickets are available online.

www.bluebox.com.mt