The Gala Theatre presents again its Flamenco Festival, in three
separate events:
Flamenco
Algarabía (Nov 17-20 ), Flamenco en Familia (Nov 26) and Flamenco Men (Dec 2-4).
Phone contact, 202-234-7174, or visit the website www.galatheatre.org
Following is the information supplied
by the organizers:
FUEGO FLAMENCO VII
The Dance of Life! Sensuous!
Powerful! Sizzling!
Seventh Annual
Flamenco Festival at GALA
with artists from Spain and the United States
Nov 17 – Dec 4, 2011
Fuego Flamenco VII, part of GALA’s
ArteAmericA series in collaboration with the Washington Performing Arts Society
(WPAS), kicks off at GALA Theatre, 3333 14th Street, NW, on
Thursday, November 17 at 8 pm with the return of José Barrios and Company, presented by Madrid’s Fundación Conservatorio
Flamenco Casa Patas , in a new piece,
Flamenco Algarabía/I Refuse to Stop Laughing. This innovative
work is choreographed by José Barrios
and features artist Ana González under
the musical direction of Isaac Muñoz.
Performances continue on Friday, November 18, Saturday, November 19 at 8 pm,
and Sunday, November 20 at 3 pm. Flamenco
Algarabía/I Refuse to Stop Laughing
showcases the universality of dance and music as it transcends language and
culture. “The process of developing this piece has been one of constant
inquiry, exploration and joy as musicians and dancers of different styles and
genres have come together to create a unique work.” comments Barrios. “It was
born from my desire to keep smiling in the face of adversity and to learn and
grow from those experiences.” The show features dancers Ana González and José
Barrios; singers Gema Caballero
and Juan Debel; guitarists Isaac Muñoz and
David Durán; and Wafir S. Gibril on accordion, lute and
percussion.
José Barrios (Dancer, Choreographer) first appeared at GALA to
sold-out houses and critical acclaim in 2003 in Básicamente Flamenco. Last year he appeared in Fuego Flamenco VI at
GALA with the United States
premiere of Por si acaso amanece. He studied
flamenco in Cordoba , Seville
and Madrid with such masters as Manolo Marín,
Domingo Ortega, and La China .
He has toured to Japan , Egypt , and Morocco ,
and appeared throughout the United
States with the Boston Flamenco Ballet. He
also has performed with several other companies, including those of Blanca del
Rey, Suite Española, José Porcel and María Pagés. He has choreographed for the
Boston Flamenco Ballet, the María Pagés Company, and the Parque España in Japan . He was a
special guest artist at the VI Festival de Cante Flamenco in Miami ,
and last year toured to Seattle , Boston and Panama
with Por si acaso amanece.
Ana González (Dancer), a native of Cádiz ,
Spain , is making her first
appearance in Washington .
She made her debut as a soloist in Un
poquito más allá at the Sala Central Lechera in Cádiz and toured with David
Morales in El Indiano to Argentina , Uruguay ,
Chile and Talca . Most recently, she was featured in A Posteriori at the Teatro Padrillo and
the Teatro Lara in Madrid. As a
member of the Sara Baras Dance Company, she appeared in Sensaciones, Cádiz y la Isla, Sueños, Juana la Loca, Marina Pineda,
Sabores, and Carmen. She also has performed in Madrid tablaos such as Parque
España, Casa Patas, El Café de Chinitas, Corral de la Morería, and La Tablas
Madrid. She studied with numerous renowned instructors including Inmaculada
García, Pilar Ogalla, Concha, Eva la Yerbabuena, Antonio el Pipa, Domingo
Ortega and Enrique Pantoja, among others.
Isaac Muñoz
(Musical
Director, Guitar), who was musical director for José Barrios’s Por si acaso amanece in Fuego Flamenco VI,
has been musical director for the companies of Jorge del Pino, Marco Antonio
Medina, and María Pagés, among others. He
also has toured internationally with the María Pages Company, and has composed
music for Parque España in Japan ,
television, and other prominent artists. He has performed at such major
festivals as Guitarra de Córdoba Festival, Granada Music and Dance Festival,
and Flamenco Sevilla Biennal. He is the recipient of several awards, including
First Prize in the Jóvenes Flamenco Competition and First Prize at the Guitarra
de Concierto Campos de Guitarra.
David Durán (Guitar) appeared with José Barrios in last
year’s U.S.
tour of Por si acaso amanece. He has
performed with many artists, including Pitingo, Antonio Márquez, María
Carrasco, and Isabel Pantoja, with whom he also toured to Russia in 2009. In addition to
touring with various companies, Mr. Durán performs regularly in Madrid tablaos such as El Corral de la Pacheca, Las
tablas, Torres Bermejas, and Florida
Park . He studied with the
well-known flamenco artists Pepe Núñez and Aquilino Jiménez “El Entri.” Mr.
Durán is also a scholar of history and music science in Madrid .
Juan Debel (Singer) has performed in many flamenco festivals and
appeared in Arcángel’s Desde la tierra,
on the album Azul, and performed with
Estrella Morente. Among his songs are Septiembre,
No me olvidaré de ti and Retales, which he performs in his own
productions. Mr. Debel also appeared in Por
si acaso amanece with José Barrios as part of Fuego Flamenco VI and the
Casa Patas tour throughout the United
States .
Gema Caballero (Singer) began singing at a young age in her native Granada . She has worked
with such renowned flamenco artists as Estrella Morente and Marina Heredia, and
appeared with the Compañía de Danza Suite
Española and the Compañía Rafaela Carrasco. As a soloist, she has appeared in
concert in Granada , Madrid ,
Cataluña, and Paris . This is her first appearance in Washington , DC .
Wafir S. Gibril (Accordion, Lute, Percussion) is a native of Kurduban
and has played accordion for several bands, including Abudul Ziz, Almubarak,
Mohammad Al Amin, and Abdul Karm Al Kably. Since moving to Spain 10 years
ago, he has performed with several music groups. He also formed La Banda Negra
with his sister, Rasha.
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.
Flamenco en Familia, free family workshops in flamenco zapateo,
castanets, and fans, takes place on Saturday, November 26 in two sessions from
11 am to 12:30 pm and 2 pm to 3:30 pm at the GALA Theatre. The lecture
demonstrations will be led by members of the Spanish Dance Society.
The
third and final weekend of Fuego
Flamenco VII presents the world premiere of Flamenco Men, choreographed, directed, and performed by Edwin Aparicio with featured artists Sergio Aranda from Malaga , Spain , Norberto
Chamizo from Granada , Spain and Carlos
Menchaca from San Antonio ,
Texas . Performances are on Friday, December 2 and Saturday,
December 3 at 8 pm and Sunday, December 4 at 3 pm.
Flamenco Men explores the masculine energy and style of flamenco
and features the unique qualities and stylistic range of the four accomplished
flamenco male artists who are featured. With their fiery footwork and muscular
grace, Aparicio, Aranda, Chamizo and Menchaca promise to raise the roof at GALA
Theatre.
Other artists performing in Flamenco Men are singer Amparo Heredia “La Repompilla” from Malaga , Spain ;
singer Javier Orozco “Yiyi” from Barcelona ,
Spain ; guitarist Richard Marlow from Washington ,
DC ; and cellist Gonzalo Grau from Caracas , Venezuela .
Edwin Aparicio (Dancer/Choreographer) who is the co-founder and Artistic
Manager of GALA’s Fuego Flamenco Festival, was featured in Dance Magazine’s
annual “25 Artists to Watch” list in 2009 and has been described by critics as
“the most amazing dancer seen in years” with his “hellfire footwork.” An
internationally acclaimed artist, he has shared the stage with renowned dancers
such as Carmela Greco, Chuscales, and Silverio Heredia, among others. Mr.
Aparicio studied flamenco in Spain
with La Tati and Tomás de Madrid, and in 2001 made his flamenco debut at Casa
Patas in Madrid .
He performed with the Washington National Opera under the direction of Plácido
Domingo at the Kennedy
Center , and with the
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Marion Alsop. Mr. Aparicio
toured the United States
with Reynaldo Rincόn’s Romeria Flamenca, was the featured artist in 2002 and
2005 at the Chicago Flamenco Festival, and appeared at the 2004 and 2005
Flamenco in the Sun Annual Festival in Miami
with renowned artists Belén Maya, Pastora Galván, Pedro Cortés, and Jose Luis Rodríguez.
In 2005, he also performed with “Jόvenes Flamenco” as a soloist and a company
member at the Centro Cultural de San Blás in Madrid , and was the choreographer for Yerma by Federico García Lorca, GALA’s
premiere production at its new theater. Mr. Aparicio has directed and
choreographed for several national productions, including Intimo with Carmela Greco and Entresueño
featuring La Truco. Mr. Aparicio is a faculty member of the Washington
School of Ballet and regularly conducts flamenco classes throughout the country.
He was nominated for the 2010 Metro DC Dance Award for Outstanding Individual
Performance.
Sergio Aranda
(Dancer) is appearing for the first time in Washington , DC .
A native of Malaga , Spain ,
he appeared at the Bienal de Flamenco in a production directed by Paco Mora, at
the Cumbre Flamenco Festival in Madrid
with El Grillo, and in Dos Generations
with Chano Lobator, La Cañeta de Málaga, and El Carrete. He also has toured
with María Juncal to Holland and appeared in Málaga en Flamenco Show at the Sadlers
Wells Theatre in London .
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 the Carmela Greco
and Café de Chinas with Peppa Carrasco.
Carlos Menchaca (Dancer) was a member of the
Guadalupe Dance Company in San Antonio and has
worked with Yjastros: the American Flamenco Repertory Company in Albuquerque , New
Mexico . He studied flamenco, Mexican folk and Spanish
classical dance in San Antonio .
He later studied at the Conservatory of Flamenco Arts in New Mexico , where he is currently an
instructor
Fuego Flamenco VII is on stage at GALA Theatre, 3333 14th Street , NW. Single
tickets are $30, and Student and Senior Tickets are $18. A Discount Festival
Ticket is $50. Press Night and Artist Reception for Ana González and José Barrios & Company is Friday, November 18, and Press Night for Flamenco Aparicio Dance Company is Saturday, December 3.
FOR TICKETS CALL (202) 234-7174 OR 800-
494-8497
or visit www.galatheatre.org





