Where better to discover the duende that lies deep within us all than through performing the flamenco dances of its origins on the stage. Sven often referred to this mystical manifestation of the spirit, finding early in his music hall career that it could capture an audience and witnessing it among the New Forest Gypsies when they danced in the last days of the compounds.
Berlin's later spirited oils and water colours of Gypsies dancing, as well as this spontaneous sketch of clog dancing (below) are also his interpretation of that sense of an independent spiritual force.
With the Adagio dancing poster we take a look back at perhaps Sven's first identification of the passion of the duende, an emotion which would take the experience of any artistic endeavour to another level.
From our biography: Sven Berlin, Timeless Man
"Far more flamboyant than many of their counterparts, Sven and Helga dreamed up
theatrical stories based around the popular Gypsy and flamenco style music of the day, the Bolero and Carioca (made popular in the 1933 film Flying Down to Rio in which Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers first danced together). Their contribution to the shows was acclaimed in the reviews: ‘one of the most successful ingredients…’ and ‘in the first rank.’"