Ballet Nacional de España: Afanador

About the Event

Experience the magic of flamenco and classical Spanish dance at Ballet Nacional de España: Afanador, set in the renowned Teatro de la Maestranza.

Behind *Afanador* lie two fascinations. First and foremost, photographer Ruven Afanador’s fascination with Andalusia and the world of flamenco. Stemming from this is choreographer Marcos Morau’s fascination with the Colombian artist’s photographs—the result of his sessions with artists such as Eva Yerbabuena, José Antonio, and Ballet director Rubén Olmo—which were exhibited during the 2012 Flamenco Biennial and compiled in the books Ángel Gitano and Mil Besos. Morau allowed his impressions to mature before translating the beauty captured in the photographs into a choreographic composition. As he himself explains, he took on “the visceral challenge that exists in both—capturing life.”

The Spanish National Ballet returns to the Teatro de la Maestranza—the venue for the world premiere of *Afanador* in December 2023—with one of the greatest successes on the dance scene in recent seasons: a work of exceptional visual and aesthetic power that has triumphed with audiences around the world.

A contemporary vision of the world of flamenco, imbued with the photographer’s surrealist touch, in which (once again, in Morau’s words) “dream, desire, and memory” coexist. Afanador’s glorious odyssey culminates in Seville.