A single spotlight illuminates a dancer centre stage. His hands, arms and torso move slowly, winding in familiar shapes, a monologue told with the body. No soundtrack but the occasional snap of his fingers or the amplified swoosh of his heels on the floor. We’re at the opening show for the Flamenco Festival 2026 at Sadler’s Wells but this could be the start of a Matthew Bourne ballet or even a Michael Jackson retrospective. There are echoes of Smooth Criminal and Bob Fosse and modern tap and also hip hop in the fluid, almost popping and locking motions of Jesús Carmona.
One of today’s most innovative flamenco stylists, he led his Compañía de Danza: Jesús Carmona through a 90 minute performance that left the audience roaring at the end. I was invited** to review with a guest and brought my niece along for her first flamenco show. As Carmona’s movements built from subtle flicks and elegant twists into a fury of clicking feet, it was equally thrilling to see the sheer awe and delight on her face. Oh, you are in for a treat, I thought and settled in.
Soon, he was joined on stage by the rest of the troupe: vocalists Jesús Corbacho, Al Blanco and Eleazar Cerreduela, guitarist José Manuel Martínez Muñoz “El Peli” and dancer Lucía Campillo. They came on singing and strumming, instantly transporting us into their shared world. The show is called UnYdos, a fun play on words signalling 1-2 rhythms but also a theme of unity.
One reason I love flamenco is that it’s a conversation between the audience and the acts, but also between the performers themselves, as well as between the past and present. The art form carries such a rich sense of culture and tradition and you feel its history in every stamp.
No matter how polished the production is, I especially enjoy the rougher, improvisational quality of call and response between the dancers and band. They are aware of an audience but they are also a self-contained unit, appreciating each other’s skills and ready to follow wherever this journey takes them. Hearing the musicians hail each other with an ‘Olé’ and an ‘Eso es!’ only adds to the joy and at Sadler’s Wells, it was cool to have some Spanish people in the audience who also couldn’t hold back from shouting out ‘Guapa’ or ‘Si Señor’!
But let’s talk about Campillo. While this show is Carmona’s baby, she definitely holds her own. From her mesmerising flourishes in a traditional flamenco dress, to her whirlwind solo with a shawl, to dancing in a chair with castanets, you couldn’t tear your eyes away from her. She managed to be moody and sexy and funny and romantic, sometimes all at once.
Flamenco is so deeply emotional and nothing cuts through quite like those guitar melodies and aching vocals. Even though I couldn’t understand the bulk of what he was saying (my A-level Spanish is more than a little rusty), the solo singer brought tears to my eyes.
This performance was utterly captivating from start to finish and a perfect way to kick off the annual festival. My niece said one of her favourite parts was during the final encore of our standing ovation, when the singers and guitarist showed off some of their own dance moves. “They were like, we can do our thing too.” They certainly can. Olé!
Flamenco Festival 2026 is at Sadler’s Wells, Rosebery Avenue, EC1R 4TN (Angel tube). Recommended for ages 5+ (PG for some shows). 7.30pm; from £20 – times and dates vary by performance, check ahead (Jun 16-29)
**press review
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