Review: Armonía (Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company)

The Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company returns to the Meridian Arts Centre with Armonía, a flamenco production featuring the Toronto-based company alongside Spanish guest dancer and choreographer Jose Manuel Álvarez and singer Manuel Soto. The title, translating to “harmony,” reflects what the company does best: bringing together passionate dancers, singers, and live musicians to celebrate the beauty of flamenco.

This year, rather than performing in the smaller 178-seat Studio Theatre at the Meridian Arts Centre, the company moves into the much larger 561-seat Lyric Theatre. Although I loved the intimacy of the smaller space, this company deserves the larger stage, giving both the dancers and musicians more room to breathe.

Despite the expanded venue, Armonía feels more stripped back than last year’s production, which incorporated film elements. The work is far more introspective and relaxed, something that strangely feels needed right now. It slowly builds from its earlier pieces, darker in both lighting and costuming, toward a full celebration of dance and music by the end of the performance.

Yet within this quieter structure, Armonía still leaves room for moments of playful experimentation. One of the evening’s standout sections features violinist Cristina Prats-Costa surrounded by dancers responding directly to her playing, creating a fun sense of call and response between movement and music. Another memorable moment centers around Artistic Director Esmeralda Enrique herself, celebrated in the middle of the ensemble in a piece that feels like a playful nod to and respect for lineage and legacy.

That quieter, introspective energy is perhaps strongest in guest artist Jose Manuel Álvarez’s solo Memorias. Much like the show itself, this solo unfolds through a slow-burning emotional build, emphasizing tension, rhythm, and atmosphere over technical flash. Álvarez never feels like he is performing outward for the audience, but much more inward for himself.

Armonía is less concerned with spectacle than connection. Seeing the show over Mother’s Day weekend only strengthened this feeling, as families, children, and multiple generations filled the audience. A reminder that flamenco, at its heart, is as much about gathering and shared connection as it is about dance and music.

Armonía, presented by Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company played at the Lyric Theatre at the Meridian Arts Centre (5040 Yonge St, North York) until May 10, 2026. For more information or to follow the company, please visit: flamencos.net or visit their socials at @EsmeraldaEnriqueFlamenco.

Written by Deanne Kearney
DeanneKearney.com @deannekearney