María Pagés. News

Poetry in Movement (Ramón Rodó Sellés)

2008-08-13T13:16:12Z

Flamenco Dance Critic

The best show of flamenco dance in the past years has finally reached our city. After receiving applause half the world over, Sevilla has made the audience of our Liceu vibrate.
María Pagés is a brilliant dancer: her corporal expression is unique; her arm movements are magnificent; her heel tapping is perfect and her sense of timing and her awareness of stage space are unbeatable. But all of this is cannot compare to her soul of an artist, her sensitivity and her expressivity. María has also managed to show us that she knows what she should reveal to her audience, giving them her full potentiality and showing her good taste in choreography, as well as daring with modernity, geniality and tradition.

]]> Sevilla begins with her turning around in continuous motion under the Sevillian moonlight, dancing the Shostakovitch Waltz, ending with these same turning movements, under a starlit sky, dancing Modugno's theme Volare. Between these two scenes, a whole display of references to Sevillia, personal experiences that María has shown she knows how to give shape to, when, as she says "I chose to return to Sevilla with my dream". And this dream of a return to that city gives way to things as beautiful and worthwhile as: the Habanera from Carmen; La Saeta written by Machado and sung by Serrat, a vivid mise-en-scene of Sevillian mysticism; the traditional patio "Sevillanas" and an extraordinary "caracoles" (snail) movement dance; those Banderillas de tinieblas (barbed darts - used in bullfighting - in the darkness) in the Maestranza bullfighting ring, where María Pagés doubles herself, embodying the two main actors in the bullfight ritual; the Soleá movement in "Lunares"; the approach to tangos in "Triana" the extraordinary choreographic refinement of Volver , in Academy. And after all this there was a standing ovation and long-lasting applause. This performance was a complete success for María Pagés, which she shared with her magnificent male and female dancers and her musicians, in a show that we can only describe as true poetry in movement.

Ramón Rodó Sellés

An artist of passionate force.

2008-08-13T13:10:58Z

The dancer María Pagés shines with "Sevilla"

María Pagés knows what she wants and knows how to get it. After Flamenco Republic in the Teatre Novedades, she wanted a grand stage for a grand show. The only possible choice of stage to present Sevilla, a first class show, was the irreplaceable Teatre Liceu. María Pagés is a great artist. But her greatness is not only in her physical size, but in her extraordinary capacity of knowing how to bring together the most ancestral flamenco and the expression of contemporary dance.

Montse G.Otzet
04/08/2008 EL PERIODICO -Barcelona

]]> Each element in Sevilla - the idea and development of which is shared by Pagés and José María Sánchez - deserves more than half the space of these lines. Right from the poster (an exquisite work of art signed by Ouka Lele) to the extraordinary design of the lighting, stage décor and wardrobe. A work of visual filigree that enables us to enjoy this invitation to a creative dream offered to us by the artist.
Sevilla includes 11 fragments related to Pagés's map of emotions. There are references to the light in the streets, the ambiance of the dance academy, the Maestranza (Bullfighting ring in Sevilla), to Triana (a neighbourhood in Sevilla), to fans, shawls and red shoes with white polka dots on them. This is a display of textures and sensations that hypnotise us, in which the artist has mixed pieces of music as disparate as flamenco and a Shostakovitch waltz, a tango by Gardel or a song by Modugno; as well as lyrics written by Saramago, Garcia Lorca or Machado.
Vivid and eye-catching choral scenes give us a magnificent counterbalance to Pagés's excellent solos. A shower of movements, amongst which one should highlight the rippling sway of her body and the harmonious expressivity of her arms.

Pagés dazzles the Liceo (Barcelona). By Carmen del Val.

2008-08-11T09:10:33Z

Sevilla, the show performed by the María Pagés Dance Company, on until yesterday at the Liceo Theatre (Barcelona), is passionate, vital and of great beauty. This dancer and choreographer displays an immense range of techniques onstage. Her long sinuous arms encircle the secrets of thoroughbred dance, whilst her vital tap-dancing takes over the floor with extraordinary elegance. Pagés's dance is intelligent and mature, committed to her times, retaining the authenticity of her flamenco and at the same time bringing it astutely forward to modern days.

]]>         Sevilla is a homage to her home town, created in close collaboration with José María Sánchez, where Pagés's solos alternate with brilliant choral performances. She has excellent musicians and singers supporting her who are performing live, a stunningly elegant stage design and an original and contemporary wardrobe design. This all adds up to conclude that Sevilla is one of the best flamenco shows seen in Barcelona in the last years. The response shown by the audience at the end of the show is a clear indication of the degree of adrenalin felt by the spectator.
          The evening begins with a waltz by Shostakovitch, that she dances in the bulerias genre. From that moment on, there is a succession of moments of genius. If I were to have to focus on a fragment of the show, it would be impossible not to mention the final dance. After the tango Volver by Gardel, interpreted by the whole company, Pagés transmits the beauty of the night in Sevilla dancing the Modugno song Nel blu dipinto di blu. There are no words to describe the beauty of the picture that Pagés paints with her solos and the rest of the company's performance, distilling the blue tones of the Sevillian nights.
          All her appearances - be it with castanets, shawl or fan - conquered the audience, who, at the end of the show, clapped their hands rhythmically and tap danced, themselves becoming spontaneous members of the company.

MARÍA PAGÉS EN EL LICEU DE BARCELONA

2008-04-24T12:27:02Z

La artista (Premio Nacional de Danza) y su compañía ofrecerán 3 únicas funciones de "SEVILLA" en el mes de Agosto.
Mientras su última creación -"SEVILLA"- sigue cosechando aplausos en los principales teatros del mundo, MARÍA PAGÉS pone en marcha una nueva gran apuesta: bailar en el Gran Teatre del Liceu de Barcelona.
"SEVILLA" abrió este año el Festival Internacional de Flamenco de Londres, cerró el Año Español en China, y sigue viajando por la India, Japón, Egipto o París, donde se presentará por segundo año consecutivo en el Teatro Chaillot. "SEVILLA", cuyo estreno mundial tuvo lugar en el Bunka Mura -Orchard Hall de Tokio en Mayo de 2006, llega al Liceu para reflejar el espíritu de una de esas miles de almas que como a toda ciudad la configuraron. MARÍA PAGÉS, después de un largo viaje por la experimentación e investigación, vuelve al comienzo de la aventura, a las raíces, a la infancia, a su Sevilla natal. ]]> Bulerías, soleás, tientos, tangos, tonás...se suceden dentro de un guión musical único, interpretado por 22 bailarines y músicos.

"SEVILLA" tiene coreografía de MARÍA PAGÉS e idea, guión y dirección de MARÍA PAGÉS y JOSÉ MARÍA SÁNCHEZ.

Con su personal concepción del flamenco, MARÍA PAGÉS ha conquistado un lugar de gran relieve en el panorama de la danza mundial. Comienza su carrera profesional con la compañía de Antonio Gades, interviniendo en "Carmen" y "Bodas de Sangre". Ha sido Primera Bailarina de las compañías de Mario Maya, Rafael Aguilar y María Rosa. En cine destacan sus intervenciones en "Carmen"; "El Amor Brujo" y "Flamenco" de Carlos Saura y "La Bella Otero" y "Hemingway, Fiesta y Muerte" de José María Sánchez.

En 1995 estrena "Riverdance, The Show" (artista invitada y coreógrafa) con el que se presenta en escenarios como el Radio City de Nueva York o el Labatt´s Apolo de Londres.

En Diciembre de 2007 Mikhail Baryshnikov la invita a bailar en el BAC (Baryshnikov Arts Center) de Nueva York. Dicho proyecto se completa con un trabajo de creación de la coreógrafa en residencia en el BAC.

La Compañía MARÍA PAGÉS ofrecerá 3 únicas funciones de SEVILLA en el Gran Teatre del Liceu de Barcelona los días 2, 3 y 4 de Agosto a las 20 hrs.

Las entradas (13, 75 a 93€) se encuentran ya a la venta en las taquillas del Liceu, en www.liceubarcelona.com ; en Serviticket a través de su red de cajeros automáticos, su línea telefónica 902 332 211 y la web www.servicaixa.com

Prensa Barcelona: A Portada (Maica Sáez Ortega)

Tel. 93 318 2650

maica.saez@aportada.com

Jefe de Prensa María Pagés: Daniel Mejías (G+M Comunica)

Tel. 91 591 9881 / 2

Mov. 619 675 742

danielmejias@marianagyalui.com

MARIA PAGÉS OVACIONADA EN CHINA

2008-04-23T15:21:43Z

El Año Español en China clausuró sus actividades con dos presentaciones de SEVILLA ante 4.000 personas en el National Centre for the Performing Arts (Pekín, China) A éstas se ha sumado una actuación en el Ningbo Grand Theatre (Ningbo, China). María Pagés celebró además un encuentro con artistas chinas.

MAYO Y JUNIO EN TRES CONTINENTES

2008-04-23T11:27:54Z

En el marco de su Gira Internacional 2008, La Compañía María Pagés se presentará durante estos meses en las ciudades de Hyogo y Tokio (Japón); París (Francia) y El Cairo y Alejandría (Egipto). En el caso de París, volverán por segundo año consecutivo a presentar SEVILLA en el Theatre National de Chaillot.