Pronounced Sue-Nyos, Sueños is the Spanish word for dreams, which is an apt title for this ruminative Spanish music dance production at Theatre on the Bay.
The third collaboration between guitarist James Grace and choreographer Carli Olivier, is a beautifully conceived marriage of two of the funnest aspects of Spanish culture, as expressed by people who clearly love what they are doing.
Grace provides the soundscape while the dancers do what they do best, wearing striking costumes and making full use of the theatre’s not exactly tiny-sized stage.
A continuation of two other collaborations, the show again features the guitarist providing accompaniment to Spanish dancing, and it is at its best when Olivier, principal dancer for Compañía Sophia, directly interacts with Grace.
His explanations between set pieces are absorbing without being overlong – just enough to put you into the picture and personalise the information before he goes back to playing. Before you think this is going to be some lesson on obscure Spanish composers, think again. The music is a mix of classical (think Agustin Barios) to something familiar from a film score.
Olivier’s experience as a dancer shines well above that of her company, who, to be fair, never put a foot wrong. It is only at the end though, that you see a glimpse of their individuality starting to creep in.
It will be interesting to see where Olivier takes this group as they become more comfortable melding their neo-classical ballet skills with the Spanish dance. A short set piece that uses a flamenco dancer in full-on trajes de flamenco contrasting with the rest of the dancers in both dress and dance style bodes well – can’t wait to see what they would do with a full set.
The lighting is good, but from a technical perspective, the excellent sound quality was just amazing – showcasing every exquisite note to the fullest, mesmerising effect. Grace’s mastery of the guitar comes across as effortless, as he smoothly moved between jazz standards and Spanish classical with equal aplomb.
The production runs until Saturday 22 April.
