'Alter Ego', the free spirit of flamenco hovers over the Cervantes

There are several factors that can cause people with dissociative identity disorder to switch between different realities. These can include stress, memories, strong emotions, sensory impressions, alcohol and drug use, events, or special situations. In 'Alter Ego', the concept of flamenco as a switch that leads to the search for something new is introduced.

This Monday, the show conceived by Patricia Guerrero and Alfonso Losa kicked off a dance series that will extend throughout October, leaving pleasant and promising sensations. The curtain rises to reveal a minimalist set design. Four chairs and five performers. The focus is on the two dancers, Alfonso Losa himself and Paula Comitre, accompanied by Sandra Carrasco's singing, leading to the birth of a new identity, or if one prefers, a third person.

The exploration begins slowly and deliberately, with Losa and Comitre alternating their appearances. Losa's skill is evident from the start, with intense movements, strong footwork, and some spasmodic flashes.

The show, lasting just over an hour, gains another dimension when Comitre joins in. Both merge into a meticulous choreography of committed and contorted bodies.

For the layman, flamenco appears as that free spirit, and yesterday it hovered over a Cervantes theater with a decent attendance for a Monday 'post-holiday', already moving with a certain autumnal sluggishness.

'Alter Ego' provides tools to captivate an audience that doesn't need to be expert. Quick and precise gestures, forearms that seem like stilettos slicing through the air, and a bodily mastery of the dancers that turns one's own body into an unidentifiable sack.

Everything flows without interruption, but there is a heartfelt second part where a more intense register is detected. Noteworthy are the various encounters between Losa and Comitre. First, the dancers 'meet' from afar and then come together in the middle of the stage. The result is a friction. That kind of friction that gives goosebumps.

In the end, it is understandable that 'Alter Ego' won the critics' and audience award at the Jerez Festival. Without excessive experimentation, which always risks alienating the more general viewer, it shows the necessary depth to captivate. A long standing ovation from the audience confirmed this.

The final words must be about the lighting. It was sober and soft, confirming that lighting in theater is a bit like brushing your teeth. Cheap toothpaste leaves a tasteless and bland aftertaste. When it's good, it's inevitable to leave with a beautiful smile.