Duende al Nur, meaning “Duende toward the light,” is an immersive flamenco work where light, shadow and fire transform the dancing body.
Performed on a luminous plexiglass platform, the piece explores light as a sacred, living force rising from beneath the dancer. From darkness, the body is awakened by illumination. Breath becomes pulse, pulse becomes rhythm, and rhythm becomes flamenco. Through footwork, castanets, zills, breath and silence, Carmen Romero moves through a ritual journey of awakening and renewal. Rooted in the emotional power of duende and the Arabic resonance of nur, the work becomes a passage through memory, prayer, rhythm and transformation.
The work draws from flamenco’s emotional intensity, rhythmic complexity and theatrical power while opening the performance space to Arabic resonance, sacred illumination and immersive sound. Rather than presenting cultural influence literally, Duende al Nur approaches these elements as echoes, atmospheres and poetic points of connection.
For Duende al Nur, Compañía Carmen Romero brings together Romero, Music Director Benjamin Barrile, and guest artists in an immersive flamenco journey through sacred light, shadow and fire.