Maria Juncal, a flamenco dancer from a long line of Spanish performers, will bring her show to Tel Aviv on November 4. The performance, titled A Different Perspective, begins at 8:30 p.m. at Arison Hall, 7 Saadia Gaon St.
Juncal is the sixth generation of the Borull family of flamenco dancers and musicians. Her great-grandaunt, the Spanish gypsy dancer Julia Borrull, was known for an intense, dramatic style. Julia was the daughter of the celebrated guitarist Miguel Borrull Castelló (1866-1926). At 21, in 1917, she was painted mid-dance by Spanish artist Julio Romero de Torres in a work called Alegrias, which now hangs in a museum in Córdoba, Spain.
The Tel Aviv date falls a full 100 years after the death of Juncal's great-great-grandfather. She plans to present her own interpretation of the art form, enriched by her own approach but still flamenco in its purest form, for fans of the genre and of Spanish and Latin music and dance more broadly.
Juncal has a loyal following in Israel, having visited for years. She performed in Tel Aviv last year despite the war with Iran. As in the past, the show is produced under the auspices of Silvia Baro Productions and the Suzanne Dellal Center. Because the center's usual venue is being renovated, this year's performance moves to the Arison Center.
Since 2021, Juncal has lived in Mexico City, where she opened a tablao flamenco, a flamenco review, and she continues to perform around the world.
Four local flamenco musicians will join her on stage: Piti de Triana on guitar, singers Yael Horwitz and Miriam Levy, and percussionist Itay Asterchan. Other Israeli artists on the production include Alejandro Ponce (costumes), Nico Kremenchusky and Ika and Ana Iturbide (photography), Tal Gershon (design and digital media), Dudi Bali (sound) and Alexi Merchasin (lighting).
Speaking to The Jerusalem Post ahead of the performance, Juncal said the past years, in which so much has happened to everyone, have been about keeping spirits up and maintaining enthusiasm, strength and vigor. She called returning to Israel "always a joy for me, both artistically and personally."
Asked how the conflict is seen in Spain, she said it is often clouded by noise and a general lack of understanding, noting that it is interpreted rather than experienced firsthand. In her view, reactions are often a kind of performance, while those with a considered perspective who seek common ground tend to weigh their words carefully and speak with prudence.
Of the new show, Juncal said she is particularly fond of it because it involves collaborating with local artists who share a deep love for flamenco. She described the process as enriching and said each piece will take on a life of its own on stage, shaped by all of the performers together.
Tickets are available at suzannedellal.org.il/en/ and sdc.smarticket.co.il. More information can be found at silviabarooffice.com.
