Flamenco spirit

Puerto Flamenco is premiering its show The Ship of Theseus this weekend as part of the Malta International Arts Festival. With this new show, the dance company takes another step forward in establishing their trademark blend of grassroots flamenco and contemporary stage direction and design. The production revolves around the central concept of the Ship of Theseus, a philosophical paradox based on the Greek legend first exposed by Plutarch, questioning whether a ship that has been restored by replacing every single wooden part, remains the same ship. The concept opens up the discourse on issues of identity, permanence of memory and ideas and poses questions on essence and authenticity, contemporary and geo-cultural influences on culture as well as the importance of preservation through innovation. The performance, featuring Antonio Molina, Abel Harana and Grima, lends itself to interpretation involving dance, music and soundscape, projections, stage direction and design, through a series of numbers that symbolically keep replacing old planks with new ones, questioning individual and collective identity in ever-changing contexts. Jesus Corbacho (vocals), Ruben Romero (guitar) and...