Sara Baras premieres 'Infinita' at Seville Bienal after 14-year absence

Return to the Maestranza stage

Sara Baras presented the world premiere of her stage work, 'Infinita', on Friday, 11 September 2026, at the Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville. The opening night marked the dancer and choreographer's return to the Bienal de Flamenco after a 14-year absence from the festival. All three scheduled performances across the opening weekend sold out the venue's 1,800-seat auditorium in advance. 'Infinita' represents the 20th original production created by Baras since she established her own dance company in 1998. The production succeeds her previous touring show, 'Vuela', a tribute to guitarist Paco de Lucía that recorded more than 180 performances worldwide following its 2024 debut.

Choreographic journey through Andalusia

The narrative of 'Infinita' is structured as a cultural exploration across the eight provinces of Andalusia, opening with an eight-petaled flower motif and musical phrases from the regional anthem. The choreography begins with the fandangos of Huelva before moving to the taranto and tangos of Almería, where Baras performs a solo piece and leaves a ribboned hat on stage. The journey continues through the verdiales and malagueña of Málaga, accompanied by violinist Alexis Lefevre, followed by the serrana of Córdoba, which Baras dances in traditional leather chaps (zahones). Subsequent sections incorporate the harvest songs (trilla) of Jaén, the granaína and abandolaos of Granada, and the soleá and sevillanas of Seville, concluding with the tanguillos and alegrías of Cádiz. Baras leads a seven-member female corps de ballet comprising Chula García, Cristina Aldón, Carmen Bejarano, Miriam Pérez, Elena Arias, María Guerrero, and Irene Flores.

Musical composition and artistic team

Baras directed, wrote, and choreographed the production, collaborating with musical director and composer Keko Baldomero. The live ensemble features Baldomero and Andrés Martínez on guitars, alongside vocalists May Fernández, Matías López (El Mati), and Rafael Núñez. Rafa Moreno (Güito) provides percussion, while Juana García and The IQ Collection designed the wardrobe, and Óscar Gómez de los Reyes managed lighting and projections. The production also features artistic contributions from flamenco singer José Mercé and actor Antonio Banderas. During the project's launch, Baras described the conceptual framework of the piece.

The proposal springs from the silence that listens, from the voice that does not shout, from respect and from travel, to offer an open gaze to the world.

Bienal festival program

The premiere served as the opening performance at the Teatro de la Maestranza for the 24th edition of the Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla, which began on 10 September with an opening proclamation at the Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza. Seville Mayor José Luis Sanz previously promoted the festival program alongside Baras at New York City Center in March 2026. Sanz attended the Friday performance, noting that the premiere reinforces the city's standing in international flamenco. The Teatro de la Maestranza previously hosted Baras during the 1998 Bienal for 'Cádiz la Isla' and the 2002 edition for 'Mariana Pineda'. Performances of 'Infinita' run at the Maestranza through 13 September 2026.