Reviews
Review from Hudson Theatre, Hollywood L.A by art critic Aylin Bayaz is a bailaora (dancer) of great skill and true tiene tablas (performer of experience.) She epitomizes what I love about Flamenco; that it embodies gracefulness and strength, described as “garra” meaning “force” or “guts,” though the literal translation is “claws.”
What bailaoras strive for, and Bayaz achieves, is sensuality infused with vitality, with life. A Platinum Medal for Flamencodanza (TVO L.A. award 20222, 2023).
https://thetvolution.com/2023/06/flamencodanza-a-superlative-performance-a-stinging-indictment/
‘The final piece, VIVIR, is danced and choreographed by Aylin Bayaz. Along with Time and No Time, it is the standout performance. A display of hugely impressive Spanish dancing’
★★★★
Hollywood Fringe 2023 review by actor, director, writer and producer Adam Lizarre-White:
It was simply incredible! The dancer was an absolute artist, skilled, charismatic, beautiful and dynamic. The guitar player was masterful, relaxed, and alternating between, featuring his playing. […] She was inspiring. Her feet not only were beautiful to watch, not only acted as the “drums” to her partner’s guitar, but they seemed to bring us back in time, to the roots of the music, the roots of the language, the roots of the culture. You could not take your eyes off her. It was also just the right length of time for the experience, musically, visually, culturally. GO!
https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/9642
The second evening of the Fort Myers Fringe Festival 2023 was on fire on Friday, June 2nd at the Alliance for the Arts. Flamencodanza! premiered at the Foulds Theatre at the Alliance for the Arts.
What a fabulous way to start a Friday night and the weekend! Flamencodanza! was presented by Aylin Bayaz and Raul Mannola. The pair ventured from Madrid, Spain to bring a performance packed with passion, elegance, inspiration and breathtaking beauty.
The evening opened with Mannola in a soft spotlight making magic happen on the guitar. You have never heard one play with such finesse and ease. The music he creates is mellow, soothing and inviting,almost haunting as it transports you away to somewhere in Spain where you are now one with the music. This trance continues on as the music begins to build with intense multi rhythms and a heartbeat of its own. We are then introduced to Bayaz as she enters the space. She exudes elegance, passion and fire. The way she owns the stage has a way of entrancing the audience and entices them up into that space with her. Bayaz’s dancing bewitches and seduces the audience. The intimacy of the performance space pulls the viewer almost into the performance and gives one a close up view of the intensity of the collaboration between Bayaz and Mannola. The magic of the music and dance allow the audience to take a breathtaking journey. Nancy Burnham
Reviews
UNESCO recognized flamenco as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Bayaz and Mannola demonstrate extraordinary skill in their respective art forms, and Flamencodanza is riveting when they perform together. Mannola punctuates the complex rhythms of his guitar with percussive sounds from his fingers and hands. Bayaz’s movements match the passion and yearning of the music as she whips and twirls her full skirt, then lifts it to show off her intricate footwork.
https://www.broadstreetreview.com/reviews/philly-fringe-2023-flamencodanza-and-kcbcxkcbc-iis-summer-series
“The magic of the music and dance allow the audience to take a breathtaking journey.” Broadwayworld.com 2023
https://www.broadwayworld.com/ft-myers-naples/article/Review-FLAMENCODANZA-at-Foulds-Theater-20230603
Are you looking for something different this year at Hollywood Fringe? Start here. Flamencodanza is performed by dancer Aylin Bayaz and guitarist Raúl Mannola, and they are magnificent.
Bayaz and Mannola completely assume the space at the Hudson Guild Theatre where they perform with a unique ferocity but also respect for intimacy. It is flamenco, after all. This powerhouse duo takes their audience for a ride, and they do not hold back. One moment they display tenderness as they replicate candle-lit dinner vibes; the next moment they’ve swept you away with such an uninhibited release of energy that you are tapping or stomping yourself. Yet while this kinetic energy flows in abundance on stage, it remains clear just how much technical control they both have. They are dedicated masters of their craft.
Aylin’s intense, sensual choreography is complemented by the pair’s beautiful garments. Mannola’s hands move over the guitar as if it has always been a part of him. Flamencodanza is hot, and you won’t see anything else like it this at the Fringe.
★★★★