FIESTA FLAMENCA Dances Its Way To Brooklyn On 2/22

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College continues its World of Dance series with the return of one of the nation's premier flamenco and Spanish dance companies, Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana, performing their new production, Fiesta Flamenca, on Sunday, February 22, 2009 at 3pm.

"An infectiously joyful celebration of music and dance." -The New York Times

Originally from Andalusia, the southern region of Spain, the art of flamenco developed from the interaction of the many cultures that inhabited this region for centuries. Traditional dances include the joyful Alegrias, with songs that are light and carefree in spirit; the Tangos, one of the oldest and most basic gypsy forms; and the Soleres, the essence and root of flamenco, with its themes of romantic tragedy, desolation and death. The flamenco event frequently ends por Bulerias, with a "jam session" in which everyone engages in a friendly competition of artistry and expertise.

Carlota Santana, Artistic Director and Founder of Flamenco Vivo, has been designated "The Keeper of Flamenco" by Dance Magazine in recognition of her commitment to creating new works and developing young artists and choreographers. She has dedicated her company to the mission of building bridges between cultures, using the universal spirit of flamenco. The company was founded in 1983 by Carlota Santana and Roberto Lorca; it was their vision that new Spanish dance should not only find a permanent home in the U.S., but also an environment in which its creation and performance would thrive. Under Ms. Santana's direction, the company has expanded its repertory by presenting new music, dramatic works, and a mixture of various dance vocabularies, as well as by integrating Hispanic-American influences. Recent creations include Burlador (The Trickster), an innovative dance drama based on tales of the legendary lover Don Juan; Bailes de Ida y Vuelta, flamenco's journey through Latin America highlighting flamenco's Caribbean, Latino and Afro-Latino influences; Mano a Mano, a tribute to the bullfighter Manolete; and the contemporary flamenco story-ballet Federico, a celebration of The Life of Federico García Lorca - all at The Joyce Theater in New York City, where the company performs an annual season.

Ms. Santana created the company's innovative arts-in-education program, integrating Spanish dance and culture with the school curriculum, and has traveled widely implementing this program. She is a member of the dance panel for the New York State Council on the Arts and has served on the panel for the National Endowment for the Arts. She is on the faculty of Duke University and has taught at Long Island and New York universities. Ms. Santana is a recent recipient of a Choreographer Fellowship from the North Carolina Arts Council and is a member of the Board of Directors of Arts North Carolina. Under her artistic direction, the company has performed at Lincoln Center; The Joyce Theater; The New Victory Theater; Summerdance Santa Barbara; Carnegie Music Hall in Pittsburgh; Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach; Van Wezel Performing Arts Center in Sarasota; Universidad Bucaremanga in Columbia, South America; Palacio de Congresos in Granada, Spain; the Metropolitan Museum of Art; and the Museum of Modern Art, among many others.

Founded in 1954, the mission of Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts is to present outstanding performing arts and arts education programs, reflective of Brooklyn's diverse communities, at affordable prices. Brooklyn Center's presentations explore both the classical traditions and the boldest contemporary performances, embracing the world culture that defines Brooklyn. Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts welcomes over 70,000 people to the 2,400 seat Walt Whitman Theatre each season, and boasts one of the largest arts education programs in the borough, serving schoolchildren from over 225 schools annually.

Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana's Fiesta Flamenca
Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts
Walt Whitman Theatre at Brooklyn College, 2900 Campus Road, Brooklyn
Sunday, February 22, 2009 at 3pm
Tickets: $35, $25
Online orders: BrooklynCenterOnline.org
Box Office: (718) 951-4500, Tuesday - Saturday, 1PM - 6PM
Groups of 15 or more: (718) 951-4600, ext. 22

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts' 2008-09 World Stages series is sponsored by National Grid and Macy's.

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts' presentation of Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana is sponsored by The Harkness Foundation for Dance and by the Lila Acheson Wallace Theater Fund, established in the New York Community Trust by founders of The Reader's Digest Association. Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana is made possible, in part, with public funding from the City of New York Department of Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Funding for Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts' 2008-2009 season is provided by: Target; JP Morgan Chase; Independence Community Foundation; Con Edison; Citi Foundation; the TD Charitable Foundation; Air Jamaica; and the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Additional support provided by the Pan American Hotel, Courier-Life Publications, The Brooklyn Eagle, The Brooklyn Paper, and WBGO radio.

Brooklyn Center gratefully acknowledges the support of the Brooklyn Delegation of the New York State Assembly: Assemblymembers William F. Boyland, William Colton, Steven Cymbrowitz, Diane Gordon, Janele Hyer-Spencer, Rhoda Jacobs, Alan Maisel, Joan Millman, Felix Ortiz, N. Nick Perry, Sheldon Silver, Darryl C. Towns, Helene E. Weinstein; and members of the Brooklyn Delegation of the New York State Senate: Senators Eric Adams, Martin Golden, Kevin Parker and John L. Sampson. Brooklyn Center thanks the New York City Council: Councilmembers Simcha Felder, Domenic M. Recchia Jr., Kendall B. Stewart, and Albert Vann, Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, and Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate D. Levin.