It is the flamenco company capable of creating a flamenco fusion show that breaks with the canons and at the same time lifts the audience of an orthodox festival such as the Cante de las Minas. It’s called The Vivancos.
The Vivancos performed on the night of 8 August at the International Festival Cante de las Minas. A full house to welcome these six brothers (the seventh is in other projects right now) who, since 2007, formed this company that sweeps wherever it goes.
And that is what happened at the Murcian festival: the clapping accompanied them throughout the show and the audience rose to their feet, holding the dancers between encores. To the cry of “Do you want another one?”, they stomped their heels on the edge of the stage, with a play of lights illuminating under their feet with each of their blows against the wood, displaying a spectacular scene of shadows.
The interesting thing about The Vivanco’s proposal is that their mixture of styles and genres is exciting, and is applauded by flamenco fans of all kinds. And what do they mix? Contemporary dance, folklore, martial arts and ballet… with flamenco. His style has been described as “extreme flamenco”.
Heavy, castanets and pop
The translation of this mixture could be seen in his participation in the Cante de las Minas on 8 August. They took to the stage to the rhythm of a somewhat different Smooth Criminal, with six silhouettes simulating the figure of Michael Jackson. It was Judah who was left alone on stage after this first impact, with pure heel stomping in an elegant way, accompanied by an immense maelstrom of blue and white light lines that crossed from one side of the stage to the other.
The castanets marked the return of the six dancers to the stage, giving way to acrobatics and contemporary touches. The cajón also played a leading role, both as an instrument and as a base for Josua to tap his heels and give a hypnotic leap to the audience, who were in the thrill of the moment.
The heavy metal band Metallica’s classic Nothing Else Matters added an oriental touch to the evening, and hand clapping accompanied a blindfolded choreography, with the audience holding their breath and breaking into applause at the end of the show.
In the end, Josua dances on the flamenco cajón, making it sound with his hands afterward. The clapping of Manuel Lozano, Luis Amador, Juan Fernández, Ezequiel Montoya and Melchor Borja accompanied him. End of party and madness among the spectators.
Los Vivancos en el Festival del Cante de las Minas (2023).
Meet The Vivancos: a beautiful story
The brothers Elijah, Judah, Josua, Christ, Israel, Aaron and Joshua Vivancos after receiving a long training in the art and, after having collaborated in many of the most important dance companies on the national and international scene, they decided in 2007 to unite their professional careers to create their own company, The Vivancos.
Performances all over the world, in theatres such as London’s London Coliseum and even in the Kremlin, have made them an international phenomenon. The Vivancos have already performed nearly 900 times in 200 cities, 37 countries and in front of more than 1,800,000 spectators.
They hold the Guinness World Record for the Fastest Zapateado in the World. The New Yorker Magazine has named them the “Flamenco group with the most international projection today”.
Our artistic training began in the family environment. We were lucky enough to live art since we were children, always supported by people who loved us. Our father, a great dancer, and accomplished musician, was our teacher.
During our childhood we traveled a lot, which gave us a broad and ambitious perspective on art and performance. For us, what we do is more than a job, it’s a way of life.
The Vivancos. Web: www.losvivancos.com
Who is who and what is their preferred instrument
Elías Vivanco
Israel de Los Vivancos
Aaron Vivancos. Violín eléctrico
Cristo Vivancos. IWI.
Judah Vivancos
Josuá Vivancos. Cajón Flamenco.
Where were they born and bred?
Barcelona is the city of his childhood.
Who is your personal mentor(s)?
Her father, no doubt, who, by the way, has had 39 children with different women.
What did The Vivancos study?
She studied dance at the prestigious Conservatorio de Danza Española in Barcelona, as well as at the Amor de Dios School and the National London Studio in England.
Do all the brothers play instruments?
Yes, at least two instruments, and they compose and write their scores.
What did you do before forming The Vivancos?
Each of the brothers has been trained in different institutions while working. They have been in the companies of Joaquín Cortés, Lola Greco, and Rafaela Carrasco… and have developed their careers around flamenco shows in Japan, Canada, the Netherlands, China, Colombia, and Italy.
They travel a lot, do they know languages?
No less than four languages. Judah and Elijah are said to have the best English. The brothers spent their youth travelling the world, absorbing and incorporating the diverse cultures they encountered.
Special performances…
Princess Stéphanie of Monaco personally invited them to perform in the Montecarlo Circus Festival. They have also put on a show for Putin himself in the Kremlin.