On Sat. May 2, 2026, I went to the lovely Sierra Madre Playhouse to see “Ecos De España.” The theater was nearly full with families and friends. Several women were wearing Flamenco influenced attire and the atmosphere was cheerful.
There was no set, strictly a poorly hung black drop, a few chairs and corded microphones with stands. The sound man could be clearly seen stage left and would occasionally wander onto the stage to make adjustments. There was no credit for lighting which was basic. Susana Elena the Director and hostess, did not seem to have a script or set narrative to follow and though likable she meandered along saying little to enlighten us as to what we were about to see. This was an inauspicious way to begin.
First up was a “Sevillanas” featuring the company. This consisted of a short stanza of music to underscore the festive dance, here Yolanda Arroyo sang well accompanied by the accomplished Paco Arroyo on guitar, while Susana Elena and Albertossy Espinoza danced and Almer Imamovic clapped upstage. The dancing was stiff and suffered from rhythm problems which would be a consistent issue throughout. Elena followed this with a “Garrotin” a dance meant to reflect a lighthearted Gypsy Flamenco flair. Elena, though pleasant, is limited in her technique, her footwork is weak and again her rhythm which is of utmost importance in any dance mode was inaccurate. Her costume throughout was a flattering ruffled blouse and long skirt, a modernized version of traditional Flamenco style.
Susana Elena – Ecos de España – Photo courtesy of the artist.
“Paso Doble” followed, a masculine dance performed by Espinoza. Bullfighting and military marching are the underlying themes here. Espinoza is disciplined and focused. His work is cleanly performed and though simple he made the most of each section including the modest cape-work. His rhythm too was not always consistent and his expressiveness was lost in concentration. His flattering costume a red and black suit was beautifully tailored in the Spanish style.
Throughout, transitions from one piece to the next were confused and unorganized. Often the technician had to walk onstage and adjust something yet again. The live sound was inadequate and truly distracting whenever the musicians played live onstage as audio clicking and dropouts were a constant problem. Elena did not keep things running as is incumbent on the host. About halfway through, the backdrop was accidentally paged-back so that we the audience, could see people coming and going, conversing and standing around in the backstage area. This was never rectified. These issues brought this show into the range of amateur.
Ecos de España – Paco Arroya and Yolanda Arroyo – Photo by Sari Maki.
Fortunately, Paco and Yolanda Arroyo brought things up a notch with their “Nana del Caballo Grande” or “the lullaby of the big horse” based on a poem by celebrated Spanish poet Frederico Garcia Lorca. This is a moody dance as interpreted by Yolanda while Paco played first-rate Flamenco guitar. Yolanda has real training and understands the facial and body expressions needed to imbue emotion into the work. The mood here is “dark and sorrowful” and Yolanda with her beautiful black dress and long-ruffled skirt brought drama to every movement. She turned, twisted and rhythmically engaged with fast and accurate footwork. As the piece developed, she removed her skirt to reveal lacy bangle covered loose pants that shimmered in the light. The gorgeous black skirt became a character itself as she cradled it in her arms like a lost child. This sentiment expressed so well the anguish and longing of Lorca’s poetry that for a moment we were transported beyond the stage. She can also sing but it was her expressive face that drew us in. Near the end Paco joined Yolanda downstage in a rhythmically complex hand clapping segment, to which Yolanda added her accurate footwork for a welcome interlude of proficiency.
Guitarist Almer Imamovic – Photo from the web.
However, here again the sound system was full of glitches that interfered constantly. When classical guitarist Almer Imamovic attempted his solo what we mostly heard was the sound dropping in and out making it impossible to judge the work. This continued during the final solo “Austrias” by composer Issac Albeniz played by Imamovic and danced by Albertossy Espinoza. Espinoza did his best to present a clean and careful dance with castanets, balances and footwork. His work was concentrated and costume beautiful but his footwork timing was again, inexact.
The finale, such as it was, brought all onto the stage in chaos as Yolanda sang on a dead mic, the guitar players worked through yet more audio glitches while the two dancers moved about. And still, the backstage was exposed and the soundman visible.
From here there was an audience participation segment.
Before leaving I spoke to a Sierra Madre Playhouse technician who implied that the theater was not involved in putting this show together. I have seen very good work at the Playhouse and I anticipate doing so again in the future. Unfortunately this show was plagued with problems.
For more information about what is being presented at the Sierra Madre Playhouse, please visit their website.
Written by Tam Warner for LA Dance Chronicle.
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