Katherine Brook
Reporter Katherine Brook enjoys a wonderful evening of music and dance from new group, Esperanto Ballet.
It’s been a long time since I stepped foot in a theatre. Infact, I think the last performance I saw was The Comedy About a Bank Robbery, in London, March 2020.
It was just weeks before we went into a nationwide lockdown and ‘the virus’ was still very much a joke.
So, when founder of Esperanto Ballet Archil Kusikashvili invited me to his dance school’s show, I jumped at the opportunity.
Formed in the Costa del Sol, Esperanto Ballet fuses a variety of dance styles including Georgian, Russian, ballet, flamenco and gymnastics, creating their own ‘language’ of dance.
And on July 16 he and his team performed their first live show at the Teatro Auditorio Felipe VI (TAF), in Estepona.
Being such a huge auditorium, we were well spread out and I was happy to see everyone still wearing their masks throughout the performance.
Kusikashvili opened the show with three other dancers, a delightful mix of Georgian, Russian and ballet.
Kusikashvili was dressed in a typically Georgian outfit; he made pirouettes look effortless and had a face of pure enjoyment throughout.
Next to the stage was a young man who’s dance I can only describe as expressive ballet with a hint of break dancing.
He glided around the stage like a slinky, my eyes following his every move.
A group of four young women then switched up the tempo with a high-paced dance fusing gymnastics, ballet and contemporary moves.
They made ribbons dance along the stage and did a particularly technical routine with four blue balls.
The four flamenco dancers were the real crowd-pleasers.
Standing out in their incredible red outfits, they stamped, tapped, and laughed; they used their bodies as percussion instruments and each had a castanet, so typical of this style of dance.
One of my favourite performances came from a violinist, who played so beautifully to a series of backing tracks – I’m told one was Game of Thrones.
She was joined occasionally by some of the dancers, emulating the drama of her music in their movements.
The wonderful performance finished with all the dancers on stage together.
The audience was on their feet; clapping, whistling and wanting more.
Kusikashvili with his dance partner performs every weekend in Marbella but to find out when the Esperanto’s next performance is, keep an eye on their Facebook page.
READ ALSO:
- DON’T MISS: Esperanto Ballet comes to Estepona for debut performance on July 16
- Estepona has the only smoke-free beach on Spain’s Costa del Sol
- Spoilt for choice: El Muro restaurant in Benalmadena Pueblo is full of delightful surprises
