For the first Time: Israel participates in Madrid’s Flamenco Festival

This year marked the seventh annual Flamenco Festival, which was hosted by Madrid at the end of May. The yearly event brings together the Spanish and international dance communities who come together to celebrate and promote the Flamenco Arts. 

This year, for the very first time, several Israeli artists performed as part of the celebrations where events were held throughout the city, including at landmark theaters such as the Fernan Gomez Centre and the Conde Duque. 

Among the Israeli performers was ‘Flamenco Natural’, a world class troupe of five artists including dancers choreographed by Sharon Sagi, renowned flamenco singer Yehuda Shuki and the talented flamenco guitarist Ofir Atar. They performed the premier of their most recent piece, entitled “E-motion” which merited a standing ovation from the 200-person audience. Sagi took the stage at the conclusion of the show to thank cultural attaché Sapir Efron and the Israeli Embassy for their excellent support.

The singer Mor Karbasi also represented Israel at the festival,  joining forces with Moroccan and Spanish artists to perform “Ellas” (Them,) a moving piece that explores flamenco as a reflection of traditional Jewish, Arab and Andalusian music.

As a result of an outpouring of positive and enthusiastic reviews for the Israeli performances, organizers of the festival have already expressed interest in inviting Israeli artists to participate again next year.