A Soundtrack for Flamenco, With Clicking Castanets and Pounding Canes

Carlota Santana presides over the sort of friendly, modern flamenco in which dancers don’t exactly lose all semblance of control. In a dance form like flamenco — in which the elusive goal, in a manner of speaking, is to turn oneself inside out — that is not necessarily a good thing. On Tuesday night Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana, a New York company that originated in 1983, returned to the Joyce Theater with a program nearly as tame as it was long.

Andrea Mohin/The New York Times

Pilar Andújar in “Pasión,” a solo piece she also choreographed.

The evening opened with the New York premiere of “Palillos y Pies,” which means “Sticks and Feet.” Choreographed by Pilar Andújar, a dancer in the group, the work is a celebration of the castanet. It begins with dancers standing on a dark stage under dramatic spotlights; clicking away, they eventually gather into a whole. Despite fierce stamping and three costume changes — the women wear black, blue and white dresses — the work conjures little heat.

(leer +) [vía the new york times]

tags: flamenco, baile, Carlota Santana, flamenca

Company exudes flamenco passion

By TRESCA WEINSTEIN, TRESCA WEINSTEIN

ALBANY -- With "Palillos y Pies," which opened Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana's program Saturday evening at The Egg, choreographer Pilar Andujar does something revolutionary with flamenco: She preserves all its power, poise and passion while injecting it with some of the structure and aesthetics of both modern dance and ballet.

Plus, she throws in castanets.

Dramatically lit and costumed in stark black, white and blue, "Palillos" (the professional term for castanets) uses space and composition in contemporary ways, creating patterns and arrangements across the stage. The women's arms make gorgeous exaggerated curves as they play their hand-held instruments, adding punctuation to their multiple turns and quick steps. Even a sensual embrace is performed with crisp edges and a kind of stylized elegance.

(leer +) [vía timesunion]

tags: flamenco, baile, cante, flamenca

Flamenco Troupe to Blaze onto Goodhart Stage

flamenco dancer

Carlota Santana has been hailed by Dance Magazine as "the Keeper of Flamenco" for her commitment to creating new works and cultivating young dancers, choreographers, musicians and composers in the traditional Spanish genre. Her acclaimed dance company, Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana, will bring its fiery performance style to Goodhart Theater at 8 p.m., on Friday, Feb. 16.

Santana co-founded the Spanish Dance Arts Company, which later became Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana, in 1983. Since then, says The New York Times , the company has developed into "one of New York's most skilled and enterprising Spanish dance troupes." Attitude praises the dancers' "smoldering sensuality and polish" as they address themes of pride, sorrow, love and death.

(leer +) [vía brynmawr]

tags: flamenco, baile, cante, flamenca