Rocio Molina is an incredible dancer. That’s all you need to know. The 28-year-old is cut from a different cloth from other flamenco dancers. Not for her the introspection of gipsy traditions. In this stripped-back show, Danzaora, her dancing is less about pain, more about play. There’s an improvisatory mood throughout as she morphs through characters, from Miss Prim to Miss Thing; mocking, goading, fronting and teasing (although there are moments when this extended jam between Molina and her musicians feels like a slightly indulgent in-joke).
Molina doesn’t look like other flamenco dancers either, with her compact figure and angular arms. There is so much expression in the convexing and concaving of her body; for Molina, flamenco is not just a foot-stamping competition — although she’d be a contender in that too.
With its personal, contemporary approach, Danzaora lacks the emotional dagger to the gut that we often get from flamenco but there’s no doubt Molina is one of the most compelling performers out there.
The Flamenco Festival continues until March 27 (0844 412 4300, sadlerswells.com)
