A New Flame: The Ballet Nights Debut of Andrés Barrios & El Yiyo
- Olivia Godwin
- Sep 5
- 2 min read
Your En Pointe insight into the programme of next week's Ballet Nights 009: Bound In Motion featuring Flamenco Sensations, Andrés Barrios and El Yiyo.
Audiences at Ballet Nights 009: Bound In Motion will witness an electrifying debut, as the brilliant pianist-composer Andrés Barrios joins dynamic flamenco dancer El Yiyo. Together, they bring flamenco to life in a way that honours its roots while propelling it into the future.
Barrios approaches the piano as an explorer of sound. He uncovers connections between flamenco’s most profound styles and the wider world of music: the mournful soleá and anguished siguiriya resonate with echoes of Arabic and Indian traditions; the playfulness of tangos carries shades of jazz; and the rhythmic drive of bulerías reveals a kinship with Latin music. His artistry is rooted in Andalusian heritage, but his ears are attuned to global influences. Inspired by figures such as Chick Corea and Chucho Valdés, and refined by his early classical training, Barrios has forged a style that is adventurous, contemporary, and deeply personal. His performances are immersive experiences, overflowing with rhythm and colour, transporting listeners across cultures and emotions.
Standing alongside him is El Yiyo, one of flamenco’s most magnetic young dancers. Born in Badalona, a working-class city near Barcelona, he grew up within a Roma community where flamenco was woven into daily life. Yet his development as an artist was unconventional: self-taught and endlessly curious, he learned as much from YouTube as from family tradition. His idols included Michael Jackson and Fred Astaire, alongside flamenco legends, and this eclectic mix gave rise to a style that is both rooted and refreshingly modern.
From an early age, El Yiyo’s charisma on stage was undeniable. By 18, he had already fronted more than twenty international festivals with his acclaimed show Sueño Flamenco. Today, at just 24, he is widely recognised as one of the leading voices of a new flamenco generation; fearless, virtuosic, and unafraid of blending tradition with contemporary influences. His performances often carry the thrill of the unexpected; at his debut at Madrid’s Teatro Real, he danced with such ferocity that the heel of his boot snapped mid-performance. Undeterred, he simply carried on barefoot, channeling the moment into pure improvisation.
Flamenco itself has always thrived on reinvention. Born in southern Spain through centuries of cultural exchange, it has grown into a language of rhythm, song, and movement that can encompass both the deepest sorrow and the most playful joy. In the hands of Barrios and El Yiyo, it becomes something new once again, a conversation between piano and body, rhythm and gesture, past and future.
Jamiel Devernay-Laurence, founder and artistic director of Ballet Nights, captures the excitement of their debut: “I’ve followed Andrés Barrios and El Yiyo online for years, captivated by the depth of emotion, musical innovation and dazzling virtuosity they bring to flamenco. I’m truly thrilled to welcome them to the Ballet Nights stage - this collaboration promises to ignite the evening with magnetic passion and artistry.”
For audiences, their appearance at Ballet Nights 009 will not just be a performance but an experience - a reminder that flamenco, in the hands of extraordinary artists, remains as powerful, surprising, and urgent as ever.