Sir, - I wish to express my disgust at Stephanie Morris's completely unjustified attack on Joaquin Cortes' Gypsy Passion (March 26th). I thoroughly enjoyed the vigorous strength of the performance which was not in the least bit banal, repetitive or lacking in imagination.
Ms Morris appears to object to the lack of traditional Flamenco purity in the performance. However, the publicity that preceded the show made it quite clear that this was never intended to be pure, traditional Flamenco; rather it was a mix of traditional and modern. Therefore, why did Ms Morris bother going in the first place if she wanted traditional Flamenco?
Ms Morris's other objections are petty exaggerations. "Imagine a Flamenco troupe without colour." I still have to. Gypsy Passion did have colour, not garish pink, yellow, orange, purple or green but vibrant red which combined so effectively with the darker hues. However, I do agree that the volume was ear splitting. It had to be, if the show was to be heard over the tumultuous applause that built up as the passion and strength of the performance unfolded.
Ms Morris couldn't see the dancers feet. Perhaps she should have taken the time to look at the two large screens, which showed closeups of the footwork. As for complaining about Murphy's stout being served in plastic cups, this has nothing to do with Joaquin's performance. Joaquin Corte's and his fellow performers thoroughly deserve the hype and praise that have followed them around Europe. I look forward to their next Irish performance. - Yours, etc.,
Clontarf
Dublin 3.