Led by famous Spanish flamenco dancer Antonio Canales, four of Spain's top flamenco dancers will be performing their original show Gala Flamenca at the Daning Theatre on March 3.

Antonio Canales, Carlos Rodriguez, Karime Amaya and Jesús Carmona in action Photo: Courtesy of Daning Theatre

Directed by Angel Rojas, the Spanish choreographer and dancer who is famous for introducing modern elements to traditional flamenco, the show will be presented at the Hong Kong Arts Festival from February 26 to March 1 at the Grand Theatre of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.

The director of the Daning Theatre liked the show so much that he invited the group to visit Shanghai once their Hong Kong shows are over.

Antonio Canales was born in 1961 in Seville, Spain. He learned flamenco at the National Ballet of Spain. "I think that flamenco chose me, and I just accepted its invitation," Canales told the Global Times.

He then moved to Paris, and embarked on his international dancing career. He has since headlined some 50 shows, received awards such as the Medal of Andalusia for the Best Dance Performer (1999), and the Best International Dancer prize in Mexico (1990). He was called "one of the flamenco world's favorites" by New York's Daily News.

Canales said that he breathes, expresses, sings and lives with his art, and he likes the divine madness in it.

"Flamenco is a universal language, and it does not need translation. To learn or love this dance, one does not have to know it well or be an expert. You just need to open your heart, and the rest is done itself," said Canales.

He visited China for the first time in 1986 with the Flamenco Summit organized by the Spanish Ministry of Culture. He loves Chinese culture and Chinese dance, which he admires for its dresses, colors, movements and ritual.

"The dance that we will present to the audience does not need too much interpretation, since it is pure live flamenco without any additives," said Canales.

The dance show also bears the character of Angel Rojas, blending the essence of traditional flamenco with contemporary dance.

Old and new

While Canales will present traditional flamenco, Carlos Rodriguez will bring modern elements such as punk and pop to the show. Rodriguez reached the final audition of the Spanish National Ballet at the age of 13. In 1995, he created the dance company Nuevo Ballet Español with Rojas. Their modern interpretation of flamenco attracted a whole new generation to the dance.

The other two dancers are both from the younger generation. Born in 1985 in Barcelona, Jesús Carmona began dance training at the age of 7, and went on to graduate with a degree in Spanish Dance and Flamenco from the Institute of Theatre and Dance of Barcelona.

He was the "First Outstanding Dancer" in the 20th Flamenco and Spanish Dance Contest 2011.

"The rapacious way he strides across stage space is terrific, the fast-slicing percussiveness of his feet is brilliant, and the glamorously alert lines and shapes he made throughout the body were almost as radiant as his smiles," The New York Times commented on Carmona's dance.

Among the four main dancers, Karime Amaya is the only female. Born in 1985, she is the grand niece of Carmen Amaya, known by her peers as the greatest Spanish gypsy dancer of her generation.

Karime carried on her family's tradition and debuted in her parents' show at the age of 9. Her control and speed onstage led the Guardian to call her "a real tour de force."

"Gala Flamenca reveals the history of flamenco from the past to the present, without forgetting the future, as it shows how the passionate art form continues to evolve as it follows its walk through time," Rojas said in the director's message about the show.

This will be the Daning Theatre's first flamenco show. "By mid-February, almost 70 percent of the tickets were already sold out," Fang Wenlan from the theater told the Global Times.

Date: March 3, 7:15 pm

Venue: Daning Theatre 大宁剧院

Address: 1222 Pingxingguan Road

平型关路1222号

Tickets: 80 yuan ($12.78) to 680 yuan

Call 5637-0353 for details