Dance Review : Fountain’s ‘Canela Pura’ Offers Pure Flamenco Gold

If there are such things as goddesses of flamenco, there were surely two of them working magic at the Fountain Theatre Thursday night. The program is called “Canela Pura” (Pure Cinnamon), which is correct in its evocation of warmth and spice. But “Pure Gold” would be better, so glittering and rare are the talents of Yolanda Arroyo and Maria Bermudez.

These are not remote goddesses, although they have the ability to stun with lightning-fast footwork, commanding gesture and particularly thunderous stomps. They seemed always concerned with human crises, which seared or lit up their expressive faces, driving them to create vibrant, physical poetry.

Their firmament, of course, included divine music. The mournful or stormy strumming of Paco Arroyo on guitar was often joined by fluttering bongos of Patric Hetzinger and rose to fever pitch with driving palmas (hand claps) and the soaring voice of Antonio de Jerez.

Relish is a word that came to mind with every performer. For Yolanda Arroyo, it took the form of dazzling sharpness and drama, best seen in her solo “Salinera.” Something wild, sensual and elegant was present as she built tension with a dexterously repeated step that shifted weight from tapping heel to heel, or reversed a furious gathering of energy so fast you hardly knew which limb had flown where before her small frame unfolded into a triumphant, erect pose.

In “Mi Plazuela,” Bermudez had an almost trance-like aura of discovering and transforming feelings into form. The improvisational edge of great Gypsy flamenco was felt strongly in unexpected twists and turns. Stretching out to flirt with loss of control, she always drew back in majestically--as if she returned to earth, but meant to keep heaven and hell in mind.

With their masterly manipulation of a skirt, so it became a fabric of desire, not a prop, and their choreographic invention, both women are miles ahead of most flamenco performers seen locally. It’s the kind of dancing that makes you breathe faster, think new thoughts, or not think at all. It doesn’t get much better than that.

* “Canela Pura,” at the Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave., Hollywood, tonight at 8, Sunday at 3 p.m. (213) 663-1525. Tickets: $22.50.