The Spanish director Carlos Saura and prima ballerina Aida Gomez will bring a flamenco production of "Salome" to the Shanghai stage on Thursday night, wrapping up this year's Shanghai International Arts Festival.

Shanghai Daily news

Seduction, hatred, revenge and death -- the Biblical story of ``Salome'' unveils the darkest side of the human soul and spirit. For years artists working in different genres have portrayed the evil enchantress in their own way and most of them have concentrated on the sin induced by her beauty. However, Spanish director Carlos Saura and renowned dancer Aida Gomez present a different view using the dance form of flamenco.
Saura's ability to catch the essence of a plot and his representation of his Spanish origins have enraptured audiences worldwide. His previous hit movie productions of ``Carmen,'' ``Flamenco'' and ``Tango'' show his keen insight and deep passion for Spanish dance art. That's why Aida Gomez -- the artistic director of the Spanish National Ballet -- came to him with the idea of putting ``Salome'' on stage as a dance drama.
``The play is, first of all, an Aida Gomez production. Without the inspiration I drew from her dancing, I could contribute nothing to the story,'' says the 72-year-old director when he brought an eponymous documentary of the production to the Seventh Shanghai Film Festival in June. The documentary traced the history of the creation of the spectacular production now to be staged in Shanghai.
Arguably the greatest living dancer in Spain, Gomez has a notable list of accomplishments to her credit including becoming the principal dancer of the Spanish National Ballet Company at the age of 17. She was appointed its artistic director only three years later simply because ``no one dances better than she can.'' She is the youngest artistic director the company has ever had.
``In the story, `Salome' epitomizes the woman who craves the attention of those who show indifference. She wants the impossible,'' writes Gomez in a description of her character.
The drama begins with a tragedy -- the suicide of a young captain who is driven to his death by Salome's lack of interest in him, thus foreshadowing the extremes men will go to, in order to win her affection.
She is the daughter of Herodias, widow of King Herod's brother. Having lost her husband, Herodias marries the king, making him both uncle and stepfather to Salome. That relationship, however, does not stop Herod from lusting after her.
Salome's one desire and greatest challenge is to seduce the prophet, John the Baptist. Having devoted his life to God, John was no use for Salome. Tormented by his lack of interest in her, she promises to dance for the king if he will kill John and deliver his head on a silver plate.
The theme of sexual lust and desire escalates until they climax in the final dance performed by Salome.
``In this play about desire and passion, dance provides the thread with which the darkest of all passions is woven. Leaving aside Biblical references and the works of Oscar Wilde, this play finds in Spanish dance one of the greatest expressions of the symbolic legend of Salome,'' Gomez says.
Whether or not the company will make any changes to the nude scene at the end of the celebrated ``Dance of Seven Veils'' in accordance with Shanghai audiences' taste, neither the director nor the leading dancer will say. So Shanghai will have to wait until the Flamenco rhythms start and the gorgeous Gomez takes center stage.

Date: November 18, 7:30pm
Venue: Shanghai Grand Theater, 300 People's Ave
Tickets: 200-1,000 yuan
Tel: 6272-0455, 6272-0702