Flamenco with flair from here and there

In recent days, lovers of flamenco had the rare opportunity to see two companies back to back: a charismatic group of performers from Seville, and the locally based, all-female Pasin y Arte.

The Sevillian flamenquistas lit the International House stage Thursday night, presented by American Friends of Flamenco. Low light and casual dress (for the men) established a back-to-basics feel for this performance, which shone with easy communion and trust among dancers, guitarists and singers. Rafael Campallo built storms of precise movement from pockets of stillness, and Choni Prez made the long train of her dress a pliant dance partner.

Pasin y Arte's five women opened Saturday night's offering in the three-day performance festival Divine Women, Divine Work at the Painted Bride. Their slightly smaller version of El Cuerpo Recuerda (The Body Remembers), seen at DanceBoom! earlier this year, allowed each dancer to be queenly for a moment.

Dressed in form-hugging, satiny silver gowns, they took turns soloing, from Cristina Moguel's space-sculpting hands and rhythmic hips to the lithe and sultry Monica Herrera, from the white-hot focus of the delicate Jenny Basco to choreographer Elba Hevia y Vaca's authoritative turn, to her teacher "La Meira's" deeply inward and finally big-gestured finale.

Though she has appeared at the Fringe Festival, this is the first time I've seen Ashley Lecille Suttlar, another performer in the Bride's two Saturday programs. This young choreographer is worth watching. Even while whirling around her center, making curves and edges as she went, she seemed to know exactly where each gesture should land. For one of Suttlar's four pieces, dancer Erin Holmes added a spoken-word rumination on a well-known racial epithet to her movements. (Both performers are African American.)

Also performing Saturday: singer-songwriter Tania Alexandra, who got a full-bodied sound going with her throaty soprano and warm piano, and strong backup drums, electric guitar and cello, singing songs that ranged from thoughtful to anthemic. Ursula Rucker's spoken-word and sung musings on slavery's legacy and other hurts benefited from the graceful moves of Pennsylvania Ballet member Heidi Cruz.

Painted Bride's next dance event will feature Roko Kawai and Sachiyo Ito Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. Information: 215-925-9914 or www.paintedbride.org.