In search of the Fandango
(Alan Jones)
Some of the most intriguing dances in history were never put into notation or fully described by dancing masters. The fandango as performed in 18th-century Spanish balls admittedly cannot be "reconstructed" on the model of Aimable vainqueur or Laura Soave. This should not discourage us from attempting historically informed performances, as documents do exist: indications of steps in Pablo Minguet's treatises beginning in the 1730s, information on the spacial conventions from a late source, Antonio Cairon's Compendio of 1820, references in contredanse collections, and manuscripts for guitar, psaltery, violin and harpsichord. The extravagant accounts by Casanova and Beaumarchais also contain bits of reliable information. Finally, the time has come to reconsider the living repertory as a valid historical tool, in this case flamenco and regional dance.
Alan Jones, Paris, France:
Alan Jones is an American dancer and researcher based in Paris. In addition to his work in French Baroque he has realized several productions based on Spanish sources for the New York Baroque Dance Company (El Sarao de Venus), Ex Machina (Venid, venid deidades) and the Artek ensemble (El Baile de los Reyes). He has also interpreted the repertory of Esquivel Navarro as a concert soloist in Mexico and Spain with the ensemble Euterpe, and performed jota aragonesa and escuela bolera, a style that he is particularly devoted to, with José Greco and the Boston Flamenco Ballet.
