Flamenco Vivo Present 'Carmen: El Baile' at Joyce Theater, March 4-9

Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana company will celebrate its 25th Anniversary season when the company returns to The Joyce Theater (175 Eighth Avenue) on Tuesday, March 4 with the New York premiere of Carmen: El Baile, (Carmen: The Dance) a fresh, cutting edge take on one of the world's most seductive women and the new work "Estilos  Flamenco," a traditional celebration of the elegance and passion of Flamenco.

Featuring nine dancers and five musicians, the company continues its dual mission of re-inventing the boundaries of contemporary Flamenco as well retaining a respect for the customs of the art form. The company will perform for its eighth consecutive Joyce season, Tuesday, March 4 – Sunday, March 9.

"As a special highlight for its anniversary season, the company has created Carmen: El Baile inspired by the legend of Carmen. The 50-minute dance/drama will paint the timeless diva as a self-empowered woman and a symbol of artistic perfection, strength and creativity --- revealing that her drive to achieve artistic perfection can both create and destroy. Fusing the powerful rhythm of Flamenco choreography with original music and a dramatic script, Pilar Andujar, the highly praised young choreographer from Spain, has joined forces with theatre director, Rafael Lopez-Barrantes. Lopez-Barrantes, a former faculty member at Duke University and presently working at CalArts, will supply conceptual framework and staging. Composer Calvin Hazen has penned a score which will combine traditional Flamenco with strains of Bizet and contemporary music," describe press notes.

"Estilos Flamencos" will conclude the program with a series of duets, solos and group works allowing the artists to freely perform in a highly charged competitive atmosphere. Through stunning footwork and precision technique, each dancer will showcase their own personal style as well as their individuality as an artist.

The performance schedule in New York, at The Joyce Theater (175 Eighth Avenue at 19th Street) is: March 4-9, Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:30PM, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8PM; Sunday at 7:30PM with matinee performances on Saturday and Sunday at 2:00. All tickets are $40. For additional information and to purchase tickets, call JoyceCharge at (212) 242-0800 or online: www.joyce.org .

Pilar Andujar as Carmen in Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana's Carmen: El Baile (photo by Lois Greenfield)