Spanish Flamenco at Bodrum Ballet Festival

ISTANBUL

Los Vivancos' legendary dancer Aarón Vivancos' first performance as a producer, choreographer, composer and artistic director, "WOMAN," will meet with Turkish audience for the first time in Bodrum Castle as part of the 20th International Bodrum Ballet Festival.

The bold choreography that Aarón Vivancos created together with his brother and Los Vivancos member, Elías Vivancos, is described as a unique combination of dance and especially avant-garde flamenco.

The Budapest Symphony Orchestra performs the music of “WOMAN” while Gonzalo G. Santos acts as the composer and arranger.

The show, in which costume designs have been made by Alvarno, who presents Flamenco fashion with special and elegant designs, features a reflection of the real situations thousands of women have experienced throughout their lives and emphasizes their unchanging values such as compassion, courage, strength, love, hope and joy.

“WOMAN” has been sold out in Spain, Mexico and Barcelona for three weeks, and it will have its Türkiye premiere at the 20th International Bodrum Ballet Festival on Aug. 13.

Ahead of the show, Aarón Vivancos replied to some questions.

How did you decide to make your own dance company?

It has been a personal need. After almost 20 years of career with my brothers, Los Vivancos and after having traveled more than 68 countries around the world, I decided to start my own business project, and in 2019 I created my first show "WOMAN" all the strength that fits on a stage. I want to give jobs to young talents and accompany them in their career development. I would love to help more artists to live experiences as enriching as the ones my brothers and I have lived, and in this way help them achieve their dreams.

What about the creating process of “WOMAN?”

The process of creating “WOMAN” took me nine months of hard work and discovery. It has been a very important personal and professional challenge, of which I feel very satisfied. The show has had an excellent reception from the public and the press after our tour in Spain and Mexico, the audience leaves excited after seeing the show and that is very gratifying.

What do you think is the most important thing the world needs to empower woman positioning in society?

Parents are primarily responsible for the education of their children, it is essential to educate in values. I believe that respect and equal opportunities between men and women should be taugh from the age of children, and that would give women a fairer position in society.

Your brother Elias is also involved in this project. How did it feel to work together for a different project?

Working with my brother Elias on this project has been magnificent; he is a very creative man and very easy to work with. We complement each other very well, and we will continue to create together in the future. I am very grateful to him for all his contribution to this show.

Will the legendary Los Vivancos also continue their show?

Yes, the group Los Vivancos continue to tour around the world with our shows. I hope to return to Türkiye soon, it is our second home.

What has inspired you while creating the choreography?

The inspiration for the creation of the choreographies was motivated by many feelings and emotions about the themes that the show deals with, themes such as injustices, motherhood, couple relationships and the empowerment of women guided me. Also as a guarantee is our Vivancos label, after more than 20 years of career and more than six major productions, we know what is the key to creating powerful and entertaining shows for international audiences.

Who will accompany you on stage?

On stage, I will be accompanied by seven top-level female flamenco dancers, some of them with more than 15 years of professional career and others younger, but with a lot of talent and potential capable of setting the stage on fire with their heels and passion.

How do you define your dancing language?

I would define my dance style as avant-garde flamenco and narrative dance, the choreographies are full of strength and keep the rhythm of flamenco tap dance, I use a lot of movement and position changes of the dancers on stage, but the backbone of a show, it is the structure of the music and the musical style. All the music of WOMAN is an original composition that I have created with my partner Gonzalo Garcia Santos.

What needs to be done to be a part of your team? What are your criteria?

To be part of my company, you have to pass auditions, in which I value the ballet technique, flamenco and Spanish dance technique. I look for them to have charisma, strength and security on stage, it is important to be passionate dancers and committed to their careers. Also, very important, the attitude to keep learning and growing as artists and as people. A team on stage and outside of stage.

How do you feel about your Bodrum show?

I am very excited to present “WOMAN” for the first time in Bodrum to the Turkish audience. I have very good memories of my time at the festival with Los Vivancos. I hope the public can enjoy this great show as much as the Spanish and Mexican people have since we started the 2022-2023 tour.