Fun with 'El Funi'

Sultry-voiced cantadors, dancers with skirts that fan out like fire, and lots of staccato clapping are the stuff flamenco is made of. That, and underlying themes of love, wine, and sweet heartbreak, preferably all at once. The seven members of Seville-based company Arte y Pureza (which translates to "Art and Purity") reveal their mastery of duende, the force that fuels an inspired flamenco performance, with their new show Maestría. The performance blends improvisatory flourishes with the traditional flamenco of Andalucia, Spain. Celebrated singer/dancer Miguel Peña Vargas ("El Funi"), known for his "rooster-like stance" and impossibly controlled torso movements, leads the pack alongside flamenco legends like Javier Heredia and Fabiola Perez.
Sun., Sept. 23, 6 p.m., 2007