Afanador by Ballet Nacional de España: flamenco between tradition and reinvention

From March 27 to April 2, 2026, the Ballet Nacional de España takes over the Grande Salle at the Théâtre du Châtelet with Afanador, a creation by Marcos Morau, a leading figure on the contemporary choreographic scene. Conceived in collaboration with his company La Veronal and supported by a multidisciplinary artistic team, the show questions the codes of flamenco through a visual and choreographic re-reading deeply rooted in the photographic imagination of Colombian Ruvén Afanador. Premiering in Seville in December 2023, the show blends tradition and experimentation in a 1.5-hour production at the crossroads of Spanish dance, image and costume.

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Afanador takes as its starting point two photographic works by Ruvén Afanador: Ángel gitano and Mil besos, dedicated respectively to the men and women of the flamenco world. Drawing on these portraits, Marcos Morau constructs a piece that goes beyond simple visual homage to explore the desire to capture what, in essence, escapes - movement, life, the stage. The result is a ballet in which the iconic elements of flamenco - castanets, shawls, fans, bata de cola - are reinterpreted in a queer language, genders blurred and roles exchanged. All the familiar accessories of the flamenco tradition become the terrain of a choreographic and visual game that dialogues with the codes of fashion, photography and the collective imagination.

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The show is aimed at audiences interested in hybrid scenic forms, sensitive to the crossroads between traditional dance, contemporary creation and strong visual aesthetics. Lovers of flamenco will find its motifs and energy, but in a proposal that moves away from the expected repertoire to propose a plastic and stylized rewriting. Conversely, those seeking a purely academic or folkloric form of Spanish dance may be surprised by the scope of the reinvention.

Presented in Paris after its Andalusian premiere, Afanador immerses us in a fantasized, stylized Spain, between passion and artifice, where images and bodies respond to each other in a constant dialogue.

This article is based on information available to date and is not based on a viewing of the show.

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