It’s one of Spain’s most-respected touring companies and it’s en route to Vancouver for a performance as part of the upcoming PuSh International Performing Arts Festival.

Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca, touted as premiere flamenco practitioners, has transfixed audiences around the world with its passionate performances featuring guitar, song and, of course, spectacular dance.

“There is unique captivation and intoxication in flamenco,” explains Joyce Hinton, co-managing director of the Chan Centre. “In other forms of dance we discover music and movement that are complementary, but in flamenco the relationship is intricately entwined and deeply symbiotic. The dramatic flourishes, syncopated beats, driving guitars, and melodic wails of the form resonate on a deep, almost primal level, creating a singular and unforgettable experience.”

Soledad Barrio is one of the world’s great dancers — in any genre.

Smolderingly dramatic, she is a force majeure onstage and is peerless at building the form’s inherent suspense to climax.

Is there a more powerful dance on the planet? Surely not. Just try looking away when Barrio sets fire to the stage.

Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca performs at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, Jan. 21 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $47 - $53 at Ticketmaster.

If you’re interested in finding out more about the roots of flamenco and how the art form evolved under oppressive conditions, ticketholders are invited to a pre-show chat with Martin Santangelo, artistic director of Noche Flamenca, at the Royal Bank Cinema, which is part of the Chan Centre complex.

More information at chancentre.com and nocheflamenca.net.