A Través thanks its donors, volunteers, community partners, artists, and communities of dancers, guitarists, and singers who participated our projects in 2016! This was a big year for us, because we presented our first major residency in the metro Atlanta area and opened fundraising efforts to the public. Through our programming, 4,000 people experienced Flamenco in performance and education in the state of Georgia, and many of them made work side-by-side Spaniards in encounters between cultures. None of these efforts could have happened without supporters of Flamenco. Thank you!

 

Here are highlights of programming offered in 2016:

OCTOBER — Fifteen teenagers attending DeKalb School of the Arts learned choreography from and performed with Spanish Gypsy artists of the famed Peña Flamenco dynasty, from Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. The high school students continued to perform the work throughout the 2016-17 school year to audiences at other schools, community festivals, and at their own school events. (Photo by Erik Voss)

Earlier in the year, adult Flamenco students learned choreography from Seville dancer Lakshmi Basile, and then one of them worked one-on-one with resident artists from Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, to present the work in a live Flamenco tablao performance. Such preparation of work permits dance students to strengthen their skills in Flamenco improvisation and communication, which reach beyond choreography skills.

Also in the October residency, college students at two university campuses attended interactive lectures featuring Spanish Gypsy Flamenco artists and facilitated by a professional teaching artist.  Artists sang and danced while the 150 lecture attendees became witnesses, clapping and cheering in a style that helped them learn by experience, as well as by listening.

Resident Flamenco artists performed in two planned tablao shows, before audiences at sold-out venues on both occasions.  Shows were laced with shouts of “Olé!” as audience members tasted Flamenco from Spain in Atlanta, GA.

SEPTEMBER — A live Flamenco tablao performance at Red Light Café closed a residency that was offered months before. In that residency, dancer Antonio Granjero of Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, and singer Francisco Orozco “Yiyi” of Barcelona, taught adult Flamenco students in singing, guitar, and dance classes. In the September show, a local Flamenco singing student performed work taught in the residency with nationally renowned Flamenco guitarist Marija Temo. Singing with such an accomplished guitarist offered further developmental opportunity through coaching in the days leading up to the performance. (Photo by Erik Voss)

JANUARY AND MAY — Three groups of children learned Flamenco dance in classes taught only in Spanish by Spanish Flamenco artists. Admission was free, and the 100 kids were tested to determine just how much they learned in language and arts during classes.

FEBRUARY — In a free master class, Flamenco fans in Atlanta were introduced to methods used by contemporary Flamenco artist Myriam Alliard, who leads the company La Otra Orilla. The company performed in the Off the Edge Festival at the Rialto Center for the Arts. It was the first time a Flamenco company was included in this juried festival of modern dance.