8 Km en Mula

8 Km en Mula is inspired by the chronicle of a July night in 1928, a real event that served as inspiration for Federico García Lorca’s creation of Bodas de sangre (Blood Wedding). This piece delves into the theme of forbidden love within a society that upholds appearances, exploring an instinctive force that gravitates toward irrational unity, challenging social conventions. On the wedding day, a bride elopes with her lover, pursued and caught by the groom. Paco Montes and Paquita Cañada covered 8 kilometres during their escape, yet they didn’t make it to see the dawn.
In 8 Km en Mula, the body harnesses movement to weave a narrative of cursed love. It unfolds as a danced chronicle of Federico García Lorca’s work, a flamenco rendition of historical events.

Álvaro Murillo describes himself as self-taught in his unique approach to blending flamenco language with contemporary dance. Back in 2018, he came up with El Barbero de Picasso, paying tribute to Morente and the renowned painter from Malaga. His piece, 8 Km en Mula, won the second prize in the contemporary dance category at the II International Urban FACYL Contest (Salamanca) and earned the award for the best street performance at La Espiral Contemporánea (Santander). Following these achievements, he premiered productions like Proyecto: Tiempo and Flamenco Futuro (making waves at the Bionic Festival), not to mention Flamencas. These productions have made their way through various spaces and festivals, including Espacio Escénico El Huerto (Gijón), Festival Internacional Dantzaldia (Bilbao), LABO XL (Tabakalera) and Muestra Ibérica de Artes Escénicas.

Creation and performance: Álvaro Murillo / Music: Camarón de la Isla, Antonio Gades and Pata Negra / Graphic arts and design: Daniel Murillo / Contributing organisations: negro-brillo.net and Instituto Cervantes

https://alvaromurillo.net/