by Diana Joicaliuc
María Pagés, one of the most important flamenco dancers in the world, returns to Sibiu with the latest performance created in collaboration with with El Arbi El Harti, “Seherezade to flamenco rhythms”, a devastating visual poem about the brilliance of the female soul in a choreographic manifesto that turns flamenco into a force of nature.
One of the most awarded artists in Spain and Europe, creator of artistic dialogues with great artists of the world, such as Mikhail Baryshnikov and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, María Pagés will receive a star at this year’s edition of the International Theater Festival in Sibiu on the Walk of Fame. We talked about the special relationship that María Pagés has with FITS, about the importance of the awards, but especially about the power of dance.
For the famous artist, flamenco is a lifestyle, it is a dance born out of emotion. And its power comes from the fact that it is a form of folk art. And this is what grants it such a strong identity.
On the occasion of the 30th edition of the International Theater Festival in Sibiu, you will receive a star on the Walk of Fame, for the uniqueness of your creation in the area of flamenco and movement poetry. What does this award mean to you?
María Pagés: For myself and Arbi El Harti, as artistic directors and creators of this project, dance is first and foremost a moral responsibility. It is essential for us to build strong ties with our host countries. It is as important as life itself. Beyond the professional aspect, we harbor a great love for Romania and the Sibiu Festival, born out of respect and admiration for a great country, for an extraordinary festival and team. I will never forget the meeting I had in Sibiu, with the First Lady of Romania, Carmen Iohannis, when I presented the show Yo, Carmen!
It is an honor for me to be in Sibiu and to support this festival in its cultural activity worthy of all praise. The Star on the Walk of Fame is an honor that I will cherish for a lifetime and will allow my legacy to continue even after my death. It will be part of my heritage. I will be forever grateful to the festival and its director, Constantin Chiriac. History will remember us!
You have danced several times on the stages of the International Theater Festival in Sibiu. What image do you have in mind when you think of Sibiu? What is your relationship with the city and the International Theater Festival?
The truth is that tours are always complex. After arriving in a city, we go straight to the theater to prepare the stage. We try to adapt according to the specifics of each place. But always, El Arbi and I, reserve a moment of respiro to lose ourselves, wandering the streets of the cities that host us. Walking through the city is our way of loving it. Sibiu is a very friendly city thanks to the architecture, the streets, the terraces, the people, but especially the energy that the festival generates and which manifests itself as an uncontrollable force of involvement and community spirit.
I like the Sibiu Festival because in its editorial line it also included the mission of instilling joy in the city. And thus, people come to love it even more thanks to this universal culture, because during the Festival, Sibiu opens up to the world.
“Scheherazade to flamenco rhythms” is the show that you will present at this year’s edition of the festival. What is its story?
It’s a work I directed together with Arbi El Harti, my husband and the company’s playwright. It is a show born out of positive emotions, a show created in order to be loved. There is nothing difficult here. “Scheherazade to flamenco rhythms” tells, in twelve scenes, a story that interweaves the multiple facets of the feminine essence. Twelve snapshots that capture the luminous filament of such fleeting human emotions. We have built a strong narrative, and the character of Scheherazade combines the individual uniqueness of each performer and the overwhelming force of the group. This woman who, in fact, represents all women, travels through the story and shares with the audience her knowledge, contradictions, loves, dislikes, strength, frailties, insecurities, dissatisfactions, loneliness… What you will see on stage is pure flamenco! It is a show that communicates directly with the soul and that tells about a woman’s relationship with her body, with desire, with motherhood, but it also speaks of a gender equality that has yet to be achieved.
“Scheherazade to flamenco rhythms” explores popular and classical music, but with a special focus on Arabic music. We work with existing classical scores that are reinterpreted and adapted into a flamenco key. So, it is a free dialogue between several musical genres, classical, popular and flamenco, performed by a quartet of strings and percussion, accompanied by two splendid flamenco vocalists.
What you will see at the “Ion Besoiu” Cultural Center in Sibiu is pure energy. Just like real lionesses, the women in the performance give their best. You will see passion to flamenco chords.
The beauty of my female creative experience is that it involves a man, a playwright, a visionary poet who is my husband, accomplice and partner. Isn’t this the perfect balance needed in order to live without toxicity?
The theme of the body, of femininity, of the power of women and their wisdom, are themes that constantly appear in your shows, which are always full of life and in which there is no shortage of surprise elements. Why is the feminine universe so important to you?
Strangely enough, my interest in women and their portrayal in our creations grew when El Arbi joined the company. He is the one who helps me fulfill my commitment to women. Let’s not forget that women represent more than 50% of the world’s population. They bring balance, beauty and continuity to life. Women are as necessary as oxygen. The beauty of my female creative experience is that it involves a man, a playwright, a visionary poet who is my husband, accomplice and partner. Isn’t this the perfect balance needed in order to live without toxicity?
The classic story of Scheherazade, the one who tells the Sultan story after story in order to save her life, is well known. What does Scheherazade teach us about today’s world?
It teaches us that the use of words is an antidote to violence and that the world cannot exist without a culture of listening. For El Arbi, the essence of Scheherazade’s story lies in the power of words. Through this force, Scheherazade transforms a criminal into a man in love. Love is a legacy of civilization that we must nurture and cultivate. Humanity’s survival depends on it.
To what extent do you perceive dance also as a political act?
Undoubtedly, dance tells stories and these stories do not appear out of thin air. They are born out of what we live, out of our experiences and out of the things that concern us. Our show, “Scheherazade” claims the importance of the word as a tool for resolving conflicts. In these times of war that we experience, speaking and listening generously is fundamental to being able to resolve conflicts.
Cover photo: Maria Alperi
