Blending dance and music in a way that transcends traditional genre boundaries, Origen: La Semilla de los tiempos celebrates the deep and enduring connections between flamenco and Baroque music.
Filmed at the Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville, the production brings together the Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía and the early music ensemble Accademia del Piacere in a remarkable artistic collaboration.
Guided by visionary artists such as choreographer and director Patricia Guerrero and music director Fahmi Alqhai, the performance weaves centuries of cultural history into a compelling exploration of memory, identity, and artistic evolution.
Origen: La semilla de los tiempos
Available until 18/05/2026
Echoes Across Centuries
At its core, the connections between flamenco and Baroque music might seem like disparate traditions. Flamenco is born of deep emotional expression rooted in Andalusia’s social history, and Baroque music emanated from European courtly arts of the 17th century.
Yet, the production posits that these forms share a common lineage, shaped by centuries of cultural exchange, including influences from Moorish Andalusian heritage, early European musical forms, and cross-continental interactions precipitated by historical exploration and colonisation.
This dialogue between musical genres is not merely academic. It becomes a visceral experience, rendered through movement, sound, and visual imagery that invites the audience to question how the past lives within the present.
Beginnings That Do Not End
The idea of Origen as both beginning and seed reflects a philosophical exploration of origins, not just of flamenco or Baroque music, but of cultural identity itself.
The production unfolds as a rapsodia in seven acts, tracing a metaphorical and artistic journey from roots in the Spanish “Golden Age” through to contemporary expression.
By framing the performance as a historical and emotional odyssey, the creators emphasise the notion that culture is not static but a living, evolving force. Each act functions as a layer of memory, revealing how music and dance carry echoes of human experience across time.
The Body as Archive
Patricia Guerrero
Patricia Guerrero’s role as choreographer and director anchors the production visually and narratively. Guerrero, herself a respected figure in flamenco and contemporary dance, brings to the stage a choreography that is both rigorous and poetic.
Her movement language draws from traditional flamenco’s deep emotional and rhythmic complexities while simultaneously invoking gestures and patterns that evoke European Baroque dance and, more broadly, the migratory rhythms of historical culture.
The music, under the direction of Fahmi Alqhai, is equally vital to the work’s success. As director of Accademia del Piacere, Alqhai is known for his creative interpretations of early music and for exploring its connections with other genres.
When Traditions Listen
Fahmi Alqhai
In Origen, Baroque compositions, including reference to passacaglias, jácaras, and marionas, are interwoven with flamenco rhythms and modalities. Rather than merely juxtaposing these traditions, Alqhai’s approach allows them to enter into a dialogue.
These traditions speak to one another and reveal shared sensibilities and emotional ground. This creates a soundscape that is richly textured and historically layered, where the language of the viola da gamba and the passion of flamenco guitar and song coexist.
The fluid shifts between Baroque musical motifs and flamenco rhythms create an aesthetic that is at once intellectual and deeply felt. Audiences are drawn into a sensory journey that prompts reflection on how traditions evolve and how seemingly disparate artistic languages can resonate together to tell a shared story.
Resonant Histories
Critically, Origen does not present its themes as fixed or didactic. Instead, it opens spaces for interpretation, inviting audiences to engage with their own histories and emotional responses. Whether viewers are familiar with flamenco, early music, or the cultural history of Andalusia, the performance offers multiple entry points for appreciation and reflection.
Origen: La semilla de los tiempos is a landmark artistic work that engages deeply with themes of cultural identity, memory, and the interconnectedness of artistic traditions.
Through its evocative choreography, innovative musical dialogue, and thoughtful staging, the production invites audiences to reflect on how art can serve as a living archive of human experience.
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