Not surprisingly for such a fiery art form, passionate divisions and furious debate separate flamenco purists from those exploring more modern applications of the genre. Yet for audiences, the nuanced line drawing is of less interest than the performance, as evidenced by the meteoric rise of Sara Baras. One of the most popular flamenco performers of the past decade, she boldly straddles both camps, moving from classical numbers to contemporary stylings that eschew the long, ruffled skirts in favor of more revealing garb. Does this flamenco fusion succeed? Well, her current show, Sabores (Flavors), arrives after running for five months in Madrid. And thanks to fervent fans, Baras’ 2005 Royce Hall debut was essentially standing-room only. Royce Hall, UCLA, Wstwd.; Wed.-Thurs., Feb. 21-22, 8 p.m.; $30-$70. (310) 825-2101 or www.uclalive.org.

—Ann Haskins

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