Show reviewed: 24/02/26

Stars: A toe-tapping 4.5 stars!

Flamencodanza is a Latin cultural pearl found in the treasure hunt of the Adelaide Fringe in 2026. It is presented by dancer Aylin Bayaz (who for those not in the know is a considered a “prima ballerina” of the Flamenco world) and is accompanied by master guitarist Raul Mannola to a selection of traditional Flamenco, Brazilian and contemporary jazz music. The show is a fierce and complex duet between dancer and maestro, both in a sort of symbiotic artistry with Bayaz’s movement and percussive steps in perfect rhythmic fusion with the dexterity of Mannola’s hypnotic fingers on Spanish guitar.

Mannola is a passionate guitarist that pours his soul into the music of the great composers of his culture and dedicated to a level of artistic excellence that is belied by the fact this seems to be a simple two person production in a small venue in a sea of big marquis acts. This notion is deceptive. Both Bayaz and Mannola are bonafide masters of their respective artforms in addition to being entrancing performers when they are together on stage. Their showmanship is such that it doesn’t require much in the way of production values and flashy effects beyond a stage with good acoustics and a spotlight, which was definitely the case when I saw it at the The Garage International: Town Hall.

Each act was a piece of precision and perfection by Bayaz who is a master technical dancer as well as a passionate and fiery artistry with sensual Flamenco choreography. I want to note that Bayaz’s costume changes were elegant and minimal (2 dresses and a mantilla) and demonstrated that a professional Latin performer doesn’t need flashy couture costumes hide flaws in technique or dancing within their performance. Each movement by Bayaz was fully and expressively inhabited by her, polished to gilded perfection with every swish of a skirt and flick of a wrist; her feet are an intricate instrument in their own right that Bayaz has used with her palmas to create a rhythm that resonates throughout your body. This show is moving on to New Zealand next but there is one performance left at Woodville.

Last show of the Adelaide Fringe 2026: 25 Feb at 6:30PM @ Woodville Town Hall – Murree Smith Hall.