'Bien vale un imperio', by Paula Comitre

Bien vale un imperio is the second chapter of the Trilogía de la Edad de Plata Femenina (Trilogy of the Female Silver Age), a project in which Paula Comitre builds a scenic triptych inspired by the imagery and legacy of three key figures in the consolidation of flamenco and Spanish dance in the early 20th century. Following Après vous, Madame—dedicated to Antonia Mercé "La Argentina"—this new creation explores the figure of Pastora Imperio. The trilogy will conclude with a third piece inspired by another icon of the era.

Comitre uses the imagery and legacy of these women as a springboard for a fully contemporary creation that seeks not to reconstruct the past, but to activate it in the present. The piece recovers echoes of early 20th-century flamenco and translates them into a modern movement language, treating tradition as a living, constantly transforming raw material. Through the body, gesture, and stage presence, a dialogue unfolds between memory and the present day. The work also explores the intersection of artistic disciplines, reflecting the spirit of Silver Age women creators who crossed paths with avant-garde and visual arts.

Accompanied by three distinct guitars—classical, flamenco, and experimental—the piece constructs a contemporary soundscape to converse with the universe of Pastora Imperio. These three voices expand flamenco into new textures, traversing the popular, the intimate, and the avant-garde, framing the past as active material to reflect on the present.

Bien vale un imperio features a collaboration with visual artists Fuentesal Arenillas, who designed a set-costume concept that defines the visual world of the work. Their sculptural practice, conceived as a process in transformation, comes alive in relationship with the body and the stage. Inspired by the groundbreaking figure of Pastora Imperio, they reinvent iconic elements of flamenco tradition—such as the hat, the bata de cola (trailed dress), and the shawl—creating a symbolic space in direct dialogue with movement.

Paula Comitre is a resident artist at Centro Danza Matadero for the 2026 Season.