FUEGO FLAMENCO X Dazzling! Powerful! Sizzling!

 Entertainment   Wed, October 15, 2014 05:40 PM

Washington, D.C. – GALA’s acclaimed flamenco festival celebrates a decade of presenting the most outstanding and innovative flamenco artists from Spain and the United States to Washington audiences.  The festival will run from November 7 through November 16 at the GALA Theatre, 3333 14th Street, NW.

Fuego Flamenco X, with Honorary Producers Lynne and Joseph Horning, is an exploration of traditional flamenco, its breadth and diversity through contemporary expressions. This year’s program includes Aparicio’s Dazzling Decade, a selection of the most acclaimed pieces created for the festival by Edwin Aparicio and performed by the Flamenco Aparicio Dance Company, and the United States premiere of Flamenco(s) de plomo y cobre, choreographed and performed by the fiery duo Mariana Collado and Carlos Chamorro of the Fundación Conservatorio Flamenco Casa Patas of Madrid. In addition, the festival will include Flamenco en Familia, free interactive demonstrations of various aspects of flamenco for children and families. The festival is made possible with generous support from Lynne and Joseph Horning, the Horning Family Fund of the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region, the Embassy of Spain in Washington, D.C., La Fundación Spain-USA., and the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

FLAMENCO APARICIO DANCE COMPANY

Fuego Flamenco X opens with Aparicio’s Dazzling Decade, choreographed and directed by Edwin Aparicio, a celebration of the 10th anniversary of GALA's Flamenco Fuego Festival and 20 years of Aparicio's professional dancing career.  The show presents a retrospective of Aparicio's most lauded choreographies performed by members of the Flamenco Aparicio Dance Company and invited artists. 

Aparicio’s Dazzling Decade features dancers Edwin Aparicio and special guest artist Ivan Vargas from Spain.  Other artists appearing are dancers Genevieve Guinn from Austin, Texas, Alexa Miton from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Anna Menéndez from Baltimore, Maryland; singers Amparo Heredia “La Repompilla” from Malaga, Spain and guitarist Ricardo Marlow from Washington, D.C. Performances are on Friday, November 7and Saturday, November 8 at 8 pm and Sunday, November at 2 pm. 

Edwin Aparicio (Director, Choreographer, Dancer) is one of the most sought-after flamenco performers, teachers and choreographers in the United States and Latin America.  Described by critics as “the most amazing dancer seen in years,” “a technical powerhouse dancing with blistering conviction,” having “hellfire footwork” and choreographies with “beautiful, evocative imagery, he trained with world renowned flamenco artists Tomás de Madrid and La Tati. Mr. Aparicio made his debut at the legendary Casa Patas in Madrid (2001) and performed as a soloist and a company member with Jóvenes Flamenco at the

Centro Cultural de San Blas in Madrid (2005). Mr. Aparicio also performed with The Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center in El Gato

Montés  (1997) and in Don Giovanni  (2003), under the direction of Plácido Domingo; and performed with the Washington Ballet in Hemmingway’s The Sun Also Rises (2013). He has appeared as a soloist throughout the United States with ensembles such as the José Greco Spanish Dance Company; and has shared the stage with such internationally celebrated artists as Elena Andújar, Carmela Greco, Pastora Galván, La Tati, Ana Martinez, and José Luis Rodríguez.

Mr. Aparicio is the artistic director and choreographer of ten acclaimed productions, including Íntimo with Carmela Greco, which was presented in Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Portland, OR; Entresueño, which marked his New York City debut as a company director; and Flamenco Flamenco, which was also presented at the Instituto Cervantes in Chicago. He is a co-founder and a featured performer of GALA’s annual Fuego Flamenco Festival, and is on the faculty of the Washington School of Ballet. Mr. Aparicio was named one of “25 Dancers to Watch” by Dance Magazine in 2009, and received a 2012 Protagonista Award from GALA for his artistic achievements and contributions to the Latino community.

Ivan Vargas (Dancer) was born in Sacromonte, Spain and is a member of the prominent family of flamenco artists, Los Mayas. He made his debut at the age of eight at the prestigious tablao Zambra in Madrid. Since then he as appeared in many other tablaos, including Casa Patas, Corral de la Pacheca, and Café de Chinitas. Mr. Vargas also performed in the flamenco productions La Pasion, Contrastes, Cautivo, El nacimineto, El flamenco de un marginado, Coral del carbon, and Muerte en Granada. Festivals at which he has appeared include the  Guitar Festival of Cordoba and of Pozuelo  de Alarcon, Nimes Festival, Festival de Otoño, London Flamenco Festival, and the Albuquerque Flamenco Festival. He appears in the video Furia Maya and the documentary Siete sentimienos flamencos.

Norberto Chamizo (Dancer) has performed as a soloist with the Compañía Flamenca Tomás de Madrid, with which he toured extensively throughout Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and the Baltic States. He also performed in Greece, Italy, Egypt, and Portugal as a soloist with Compañía de Madrid. In 2002, Mr. Chamizo formed his own company debuting with Jaleo, his first work as a director and choreographer. Mr. Chamizo also has performed at the legendary tablaos Casa Patas with  Carmela Greco and Café de Chinitas with Pepa Carrasco.

 

Amparo Heredia “La Repompilla” (Singer) comes from a family of flamenco artists. She has appeared in tablaos in New York and Miami with various companies, and with dancer Juan Andrés Maya at Café de Chinitas in Madrid. She also has worked at Mesón Flamenco “La Repompa” in Málaga and has toured throughout Spain.

 

MARIANA COLLADO AND CARLOS CHAMORRO

 

Fuego Flamenco X continues on November 13 at 8 pm with the U.S. premiere of Flamenco(s) de plomo y cobre, presented in collaboration with Madrid’s Fundación Conservatorio Flamenco Casa Patas.  This explosive work, choreographed and performed by Mariana Collado and Carlos Chamorro, explores the power, intimacy, and immensity  that is flamenco.  The show also features singers Naike Ponce and Pedro Obregón; guitarists Bettina Flater and Fernando de la Rua; and Víctor Guadiana on violin. Performances continue on Friday, November 14 and Saturday, November 15 at 8 pm, and Sunday, November 16 at 2 pm.

 

Mariana Collado (Dancer, Choreographer, Director, Musical Director) began studying at age eight at the Real Conservatorio Profesional de Danza Española, where she concentrated on classical Spanish dance and flamenco. She also studied at the Centro Flamenco de Estudios Escénicos Mario Maya, where she studied with Mario Maya, Rafaela Carrasco, Belén Maya, Alejandro Granados and Yolanda Heredia.  She became a member of the Compañía Flamenco Mario Maya and the Centro Andaluz de Danza, where she performed at the Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla in Los caminos de Lorca. She was also a member of several other companies, including the companies of Antoñío Gades, Rafael Aguilar, and Kaari Martin, among others, and was a soloist with the Karen Lugo Flamenco Company and Malucos Dance Company. She has appeared at numerous festivals, including the Asilah International Cultural Festival, Festival De Encinart, and Veranos de la Villa. Ms. Collado also has performed at such renowned tablaos as Las Carbonera, Corral de la Morería, Café de Chinitas, Cardomal, Corral de la Pacheca and Casa Patas.  She won Second Prize at the Concurso Internacional de Flamenco in Almería, Spain, and in 2012 won First Prize in Solo Choreography at the XXI Certamen Coreográfico de Danza Española y Flamenco in Madrid.

 

Carlos Chamorro (Dancer, Choreographer) was a soloist and principal dancer for the Spanish National Ballet and is the founder of the Maluco Dance Company.  He also has performed with the Kaari Marti Company of Finland and with Riha Hamada, known as the Ambassadress of Spanish Dance, in Japan.  He is the resident choreographer for Yllana Theater Company, and choreographed Dressed to Dance, which premiered at the Costume Museum in Madrid and was later presented in New York, Moscow and Jerusalem, and Fermata, which was presented at the Kulturhaus Festival in Austria. 

He also was choreographer for the Dos de mayo Gala and Europa Danza, and choreographed for and performed at the Tanzist Festival of Flamenco Art.  Among his honors are the 2011 Most Outstanding Dancer Award and the 2008 First Prize for Solo Choreography of Córdova.

 

Casas Patas is a world-renowned Madrid tablao, hosting some of the best and most authentic flamenco in Spain. Famous groups and new talent sometimes share the same stage to create memorable productions. The Fundación Conservatorio Flamenco Casa Patas grew out of this club and today sponsors workshops, seminars, and exhibitions promoting the art of flamenco around the world.

FLAMENCO EN FAMILIA

Flamenco en Familia, free family interactive demonstrations in flamenco zapateo, castanets, and fans, takes place on Saturday, November 15 in two sessions from 11 am to 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm to 3 pm at the GALA Theatre. The lecture demonstrations will be led by members of the Spanish Dance Society.

Fuego Flamenco X is on stage at GALA Theatre, 3333 14th Street, NW. Single tickets are $35; Senior Citizen Tickets are $26; and Student Tickets are $20. A Discount Festival Ticket is $60, which includes one ticket for a performance of each of the presentations.

Press Night and Artist Reception for Flamenco Aparicio Dance Company is Friday, November 7. Press Night and Artist Reception for Mariana Collado and Carlos Chamorro is Saturday, November 15.

FOR TICKETS CALL (202) 234-7174 OR 800- 494-8497

Or visit www.galatheatre.org

 

CONTACT:
Sarah Barrie
Email: Sarah@galatheatre.org
Phone: 202 234 7174

 
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