Emerald presents a unique blend of dance styles, combining traditional Flamenco and Spanish styles influenced by a contemporary flair. As the audience takes their seats, we are presented with a two-metre high picture frame in the centre of the stage, surrounded by hanging garments on either side. Vivid green light floods in from the sides of the stage and the dancers emerge. Immediately I am struck by the performance quality of these artists – they are so emotive with their faces, making it easy to invest in the work. The dancers interact with the hanging fabric with child-like wonder on their faces, until eventually, they meet at the picture frame in an embrace. From this point, the tone of the work changes several times, reflecting the themes of experiencing trauma and using this to evolve and grow, as we all do in our lives. We see the stomping, staccato vibrancy of Flamenco punctuated with softness and static imagery.

Something I enjoy about this work is the rawness of it – the dancers change their costumes on-stage, swapping what they are wearing for the hanging garments several times throughout. As an audience member, removing the typical miraculous costume changes where dancers leave the stage and return looking completely different, makes me feel more connected to the performers as human beings. Being that there are only two dancers for the duration of the piece, a sense of intimacy is created, enhanced by the arrangement of the hanging clothing, which makes the space appear smaller. The dancers make use of their breath throughout and also engage in body percussion, adding realness.

The use of the picture frame throughout is clever – the dancers keep coming back to this central point, and watching them interact with each other inside the frame is like witnessing a chimerical painting coming to life. The delicate, preciseness of the arms and hands slips outside of the frame and retracts back in as the dancers rest and then shift again, lending to glorious postures and resplendent shapes.

I perceive the music and lighting in this work to be sporadic, as one moment we are treated to soft, Spanish style guitar complimenting tender movement in low lighting, and in the next breath, we are plunged into lurid red lighting and heavy bass beats. This certainly adds to the drama of the piece, particularly when combined with the fast, heavy footwork of the Flamenco. I find this drama much too theatrical and exaggerated for my taste, however, I recognise that this is likely a bias I carry from being primarily exposed to contemporary dance in Aotearoa, and I imagine that this kind of dramatisation is pertinent for these traditional Flamenco and Spanish styles.

All of the timing in the duet sections is incredibly accurate, Hernandez and Tamayo are consistently in perfect sync with each other – a feat difficult to achieve when tapping is involved, as the audience can hear any disparity in the footwork. They are both strong in their presence and wholly committed to the movement and telling their story. Hernandez conducts the stage with such tenacity that the eye is drawn to his every movement. Tamayo has a more delicate approach to her habitation of the space; however, this does not detract from her ability to engage the audience in her dance.

Emerald is a cultural dance experience perhaps unlike any that has been shown in New Zealand before. It is engaging and exciting, and there is no doubt that Hernandez and Tamayo are skilled dance artists and storytellers.

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