Why this flamenco dancer is fed up …. all the way to the peineta?
Rafael de Utrera, Singer
Antonio Montoya, Dancer and Choreographer
Recently my Instagram feed has been flooded with black and white images of flamenco artists wearing, holding, or somehow representing a peineta, the characteristic flamenco comb.
Maybe you’ve had the same thought as me? Where is this coming from? And why?
These evocative images, which have been popping up all over social media with the hashtag #hastalapeineta, can be traced back to one man: flamenco dancer and choreographer, Antonio Montoya.
Hasta La Peineta is Montoya’s latest project and the title is a declaration of his attitude. Literally translating as ‘up to the comb’, the phrase reflects that Montoya has ‘had it up to here’.
Talking to Montoya, who is based in his hometown of Utrera during Spain’s COVID-19 lockdown, I asked him about the message behind the project.
“I’m fed up with a lot of things… especially with flamenco.” Montoya explains that as a flamenco artist, he is accustomed to preparing a show, only to have it die post-performance. “I want my show to premiere in my homeland and then to reach everyone.”
Montoya is a disciple of the traditional ‘Seville school’ of flamenco and he’s fighting for it. His comments point to a lack of support for this art form.
“I don’t want the Seville school to be lost,” he explains.
The initial idea for his project was to develop a traditional flamenco show using photographs as the backdrop. With the intention of inviting collaboration from others through the medium of photography, using a flamenco comb as the basis for each photo’s creativity, Montoya planned to assemble the photos on stage as part of his show’s scenography.
As the project has gained recognition on social media during the month of May, he has found himself inundated with material. Montoya has therefore expanded his concept and plans to include a photo exhibition alongside the show. He has received an outstanding number of photo contributions on an international scale.
“There was no brake,” he says. “I didn’t think that in such a short time this would get to where it has.”
The photos, over 1800 of them to date, are the fruit of flamenco artists, both renowned stars and lesser known artists alike, as well as contributors who are not directly involved in flamenco. Each black and white image is a unique depiction of the traditional flamenco comb. Montoya himself seems amused with the depth and variety.
“It’s such an insignificant thing, it’s an accessory. How can it have so much creativity?”
Yet no two photos are alike. The project seems to have taken on a life of its own, providing a platform for self expression.
Why has Hasta La Peineta been so successful? Are other flamencos, like Montoya, fed up with the perception and treatment of the flamenco art form? Or is the COVID-19 pandemic and isolation creating the right conditions for creativity at home? Or perhaps both?
As Montoya explains: “Success has a little bit of everything. Above all, it's what I always say. Art has no barriers.”
Montoya welcomes contributions from Australia. But bear in mind that simply uploading your image on social media with the hashtag isn’t enough. If you want your contribution to be considered for inclusion in the project, a high quality version needs to be sent directly to Montoya.
Beatriz Román, Painter
Inmaculada Salomón, First Dancer in the Ballet Nacional de España
Rafael de Utrera, Singer
Antonia La Talega, Montoya’s Mother
Esperanza Fernández, Singer
Iván Delgado, Classical Dancer