Flamenco dancing feels right at home on an outdoor stage, as does Las Cuatro by Alma Flamenca, appearing at the Hillside Theatre, Gluttony. 
 
The theatre itself has several vantage points to choose from: rows of seating on the flat ground in front of the stage, a picnic blanket option on the rise behind those seats, and still more seating, which is anchored to the upper section of the hill. If your feet tend to dangle from your chair, I’d suggest one of the first two options. My seat, pitched on the hillside, had a slight forward lean, so if I hadn't kept at least one foot firmly on the ground, some picnickers in front might have had an unexpected visitor. The walk down the grassy slope into the venue, as the line snaked its way past the COVID Marshals towards the entrance, was a bit of a challenge for some of the less mobile patrons, with a couple almost losing their footing on the grassy slope, which luckily didn’t end up in an injury. But enough about the venue and on to the main attraction!  
 
I’ve never pretended to know a lot (or anything!) about Flamenco or dance in general, but this performance inspired me to research some of the terms after watching such a well-executed performance.  
 
Featuring a cuadro of six women, Las Cuatro leads it audience through a range of emotions with the energy and passion we expect from Flamenco. This is a performance of international standard, full of colour and movement as the dancers swish their mantónes through the air, wrapping them around their bodies with ryhthmic braceo. Watch the dancers’ facial expressions, too, because they contribute to the story and command your attention as much as the other choreography. 
 
Flamenco tells a story, but is equally as enjoyable simply on a technical level when delivered well. The precision of these dancers is impeccable. The palmas sequences, with their rhythnical clapping, and taconeo (the rhythmic heel tapping)were so tightly displayed I could have sworn, at first, the sounds were coming from the soundtrack but trust me, those clicks and taps we’ve all tried to mimic at some point before quickly giving up were live and executed to perfection. 
 
The soundtrack flowed well, with features ranging from Bjork to the mournfully soulful Arcangel. I can only imagine that a full surround sound system inside an auditorium would reach into the core of your being as you watch the seemingly effortless movements on stage, but that's merely a 'nice to have' and certainly not essential for this performance. If you love Flamenco, you’re going to love Las Cuatro. If you’re unsure about dance, this show will leave you wanting more. 
 
¡Olé!