“An infectiously joyful celebration of dance.” The New York Times

Date and Time:
Tuesday, January 20, 2004 at 7:30 p.m.

Single Ticket Prices:
SOLD OUT

Season Ticket Packages:
This concert is part of the Artist Series and Music in Motion Series season ticket packages.

Location:
Macky Auditorium

Running Time:
1.5 to 2 hours

Preconcert:
A Conversation with Sali Gutierrez, Instructor of Flamenco
6:45 p.m., Macky Room 102

Event Overview:
Recognized as “The Keeper of Flamenco” by Dance Magazine, Carlota Santana leads her company in the exploration of Spanish dance accompanied by outstanding live music. Flamenco dance is earthy, gutsy, and passionate, combining song, rhythm, and dramatic dance movement. The company’s programs embrace the many cultures that influenced flamenco: the Arabic, Jewish, Gypsy, Spanish, and Latino communities.

Program:
TBA

Artist Bio:
Flamenco Vivo!/Carlota Santana Spanish Dance Company was founded in 1983 by Carlota Santana and Roberto Lorca with the mission of building bridges between cultures using the universal spirit of Flamenco. Ms. Santana has been designated “The Keeper of the Flamenco” by Dance Magazine in recognition of her commitment to creating new works and developing young artists and choreographers.

Flamenco dance is earthy, gutsy and passionate, combining song, rhythm and dramatic movement to convey humanity’s most fundamental emotions. “This was a show of graceful, sensuous dance,” raves The Philadelphia Enquirer. The New York Times writes, “Ms. Santana’s brooding solo was like taking a peep into the deepest recesses of someone’s mind and heart.” The company’s programs reflect and embrace the diversity of the many cultures that influenced flamenco: the Arabic, Judaic, Gypsy, Spanish and Latino communities. Spanish dance, for this company, is not only entertaining but also educational. It is used as a tool to break down cultural barriers creating a greater appreciation and understanding of the art form.

The company of dancers and musicians has performed to sold-out houses at the Joyce Theatre in New York City, the Empire State Performing Arts Center in Albany, the Schubert Theatre in Connecticut, the Fulton Theatre in Pittsburgh, Thalian Hall in North Carolina, and Palacio de los Congreso in Spain, among others. The ensemble has also been presented in widely respected festivals such as the Cape May Music Festival, the Rutgers Summerfest in New Jersey, and An Appalachian Summer Festival in North Carolina.

The Company was created with the vision of developing a format where new Spanish dance and music could be created and performed. Under Ms. Santana’s direction, the company has expanded its repertoire by presenting new music, dramatic works, and a mixture of various dance vocabularies, as well as by integrating Hispanic-American influences. Recent creations include Bailor/Bailaora, a dazzling display of flamenco styles, the contemporary flamenco story-ballet Mano a Mano– a tribute to the bullfighter Manolete, and Federico, a celebration of the life of Federico Garcia Lorca, each performed to great acclaim at The Joyce Theatre in 2002, 2001 and 1998 respectively.

The Carlota Santana Spanish Dance Company/Flamenco Vivo is widely sought after for its extensive residency and Arts in Education programs. Founder and Artistic Director Carlota Santana is immensely popular in her workshops and master classes in which she teaches the art and history of Flamenco. Ms. Santana is on the faculty of Duke University, has taught at Long Island and New York Universities, and has served on panels for the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts and the North Carolina Arts Council. She is on the board of Arts North Carolina and the advisory panel for Dance/NYC.

Links:
www.flamenco-vivo.org