Graceful and passionate dance comes to Durango on Thursday, Feb. 19 as the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College presents Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana. Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana is known for the purity of its work and the unique way in which the dancers have enriched the art of flamenco. Flamenco is honored as an expression of feeling of universal emotions shared across time and physical boundaries.
The troupe was founded in 1983 as the Spanish Dance Arts Company by Roberto Lorca and Carlota Santana, who had the 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.
Lorca died of AIDS in 1987, but Santana is determined to carry on the tradition the pair established. By the early '90s, the company had instituted a lasting relationship with The Joyce Theatre, New York's premiere dance venue.
In 1996, Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana began working with international artists with a goal of cultural exchange, fostering the next generation of Spanish dance artists. The company continues to provide artists from Spain with the opportunity to choreograph, perform, and teach in the United States.
In 2012 The Center for Flamenco Arts - the first space by flamencos, for flamencos - was opened. The center has become a hub of flamenco activity in New York City offering flamenco classes for adults and children, professional development for educators, a monthly lecture series and workshops with guest artists and company members.
"Our favorite part is seeing how engaged and excited people become when they interact with the music and movement of flamenco," Santana said. "Every person can relate to some aspect of the art form whether it be the culture, the emotive qualities or the vibrant energy of the music and dance. We love when people get involved in our performances and shout olé when they like something."
Tickets for Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana cost $38 to $44 and are available online at www.durangoconcerts.com, or call 247-7657, or visit the Ticket Office inside the Durango Welcome Center in downtown Durango.
