Forever Flamenco by Fanny Ara
Friday, September 24. 8PM
Featuring:
Fanny Ara - Dancer / Director
Timo Nuñez - Dancer
Vanessa Albalos - Dancer
Gabriel Osuna - Guitar
Gerardo Morales - Percussion
Antonio de Jerez - Vocals
Mateo Amper - Piano
PROGRAM
Gymnopedie #1
Tangos - The Company
Solo Cante - Antonio de Jerez
Solea por Buleria - Vanessa Albalos
INTERMISSION
Nocturne #1
Alegrias - Timo Nunez
Rumba - The Company
Solea - Fanny Ara
Fanny Ara - Dancer / Director began her dance studies at age three, studying ballet and Contemporary dance at the Irene Popard School in St. Jean de Luz in the French Basque country. As a child, she studied Spanish classical dance with Catalina Gommes and traveled regularly to Madrid to train with maestros Isabel Quintero and Antonio Najarro. In addition to her dance training, she also studied piano at the Bayonne School of Art for eleven years. After earning a BA in Literature with a specialty in Music from The Bayonne School of Art, she relocated to Spain. A two-year intensive in flamenco studies in both Sevilla and Madrid followed with Juana Amaya, El Torombo, Manolo Soler, and Hiniesta Cortes. In Madrid, Fanny was soon featured in flamenco tablaos and was accepted into the prestigious Academy of Mario Maya.
Over the past decade, Fanny has earned the role of one of the most important performers in the country, and is recognized and celebrated by flamenco enthusiasts around the world. Now residing in the Bay Area, she is a company member of Caminos Flamencos, sharing the theater stage with artists such as Antonio de la Malena, Manuel de la Malena, Juan Ogalla, Domingo Ortega, David Paniagua and Juñares. She has been a regularly featured artist in Flamenco Festivals including Lluvia Flamenca, Tucson Flamenco Festival, and Dallas Flamenco Festival. She has also been an invited artist in international festivals including the Australia Festival de Guitarra and has toured extensively in Canada, Central and South America, the Middle East, Africa , and throughout Europe. Some of her most notable performances include work with the Eva Longoria Foundation, performance at the George V in Paris with the grand pianist Diego Amador and at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles with the world-renown Antonio Carmona in 2013. In April 2014, one of Fanny's dreams came true when she danced accompanied by the incredible pianists Marielle and Katia Labeque at the Davis Symphony Hall, performing one of the most famous West Side Story songs: “America.” Most recently, Fanny was the principal dancer at the Washington Opera’s season of Carmen.
As an award-winning artist, Fanny has been distinguished since 2006 as a dancer and performer, including nominations from the Isadora Duncan Dance Awards: in 2006 she was nominated in the category of Most Outstanding Individual Dancer, in 2012 her project Juncal Street was nominated in three categories: Most outstanding Music, Ensemble, and Individual Performance, then in in 2015 her performance with the San Francisco Opera in La Traviata was nominated for Best Ensemble. New York’s Vilcek Foundation also awarded Fanny a prestigious finalist prize for “Creative Promise in Dance” in 2012.
As a choreographer and performer, Fanny’s versatility in the art form of flamenco is manifest in her many artistic works, including Magia Flamenca produced in 2007 in Washington DC, receiving critical acclaim, and A Traves de Sus Ojos in 2008, reviewed by Renee Renouf: "always elegant, the reach of her arms generous, frequently evoking unseen forces, body occasionally concave, legs striding in earthy response, fingers spread in exclamation to the rhythms, leaving the stage abruptly, provoking a gasp of delight." She successfully self-produced Garlochi in 2011 and Juncal Street in 2012 with wide acclaim. Most recently, Fanny was a finalist in Madonna’s audition of the “Rebel Heart Tour” and choreographed commercial work for GoPro. Her latest choreographic work, Luz, is sponsored by the Arizona Commission on the Arts and Pima Arts Council and will tour in 2016.
Fanny continues to be an internationally sought-after choreographer and instructor of flamenco, with students and fans across the globe. Her most dedicated worldwide students especially credit her as one of the driving forces of flamenco today: an artist excelling in the full spectrum of flamenco, from the most traditional to the avant-garde.
Vanessa Albalos - (Dancer) was born in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, which is where she spent her childhood. Her mother was the biggest influence in Flamenco, as she introduced Vanessa to the art from an early age and gave her an upbringing rich in music. It was then that she started to become familiar with cante and the very complex and unusual rhythms of Flamenco.
She began to study Flamenco dance at the age of 13 in El Paso, Texas with Rita Vega de Triana and Curro Niebla. After migrating to Southern California, studied with several well-known teachers in the area, including Sarah Parra, Gabriela Garza, Jose Tanaka (guitarist), Jesus Montoya (singer), Manuel Gutierrez, and Briseyda Zarate. She frequently takes the opportunity to take workshops with artists from Spain. Vanessa has toured Mexico with the Festival Internacional Cervantino, and Japan with Jose Tanaka’s Soniquete Flamenco, also recording palmas for Jose’s guitar album “Lluvia”. She appeared in the Iron & Wine video on MTV’s “Boy With A Coin”, and in Mater TV’s “Caminos Flamencos”, with Yaelisa’s San Francisco based company. She has also appeared in the annual Los Angeles Flamenco Festival, New World Flamenco Festival, Irvine Barclay Theatre, frequently at the Fountain Theatre’s Forever Flamenco Series, and Houston Flamenco Festival with Jesus Montoya Company.
Currently, Vanessa resides in Moreno Valley, California, and performs weekly at many tablaos and private venues in Southern California. She is considered by her colleagues to be captivating, inspirational dancer, and supportive, valuable compañera.
Antonio De Jerez – (Singer) is among the most highly regarded flamenco singers currently in the U.S. Born in Jerez de La Frontera, Spain to a father who was a well-known singer and a mother who was a dancer, Antonio has been singing and dancing since childhood. He performed extensively throughout Spain and in 1977 moved to the U.S. Since then, he has sung for many companies including the Jose Molina Ballet, Rosa Montoya Ballet Espanol, The Boston Flamenco Ballet, plus the companies of Carmen Mora, Luisa Triana, La Tania, Yaelisa and Domingo Ortega, among others. He is artistic director of Canela Pura. Like many cantaores, Antonio is also a poet and frequently writes letras for the cantes he sings.
Timo Nuñez - (Dancer) is an American-born Flamenco dancer, singer, actor, and photographer who has been critically acclaimed for his flamenco dancing since the age of twelve. True to his Spanish blood, Timo gained the base of his training through his studies in Spain. He has established broad recognition in the United States for his work with directors and artists such as Jennifer Lopez, Carlos Santana, Selena Gomez, Luis Fonsi, Yandel, Nappytabs, Kenny Ortega, Nigel Lythgoe, Raj Kapoor, Liz Imperio, Debbie Allen, Leo Moctezuma, Mary Murphy, Brian Friedman, Alex Magno, Amy Tinkum, Otis Sallid, Keith and Sharon Young, Placido and Marta Domingo, Abraham Mateo, Clean Bandit, and more. A prolific artist, Timo has been featured on NBC’s World of Dance, FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance, and has been a flamenco consultant on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars.
Gerardo Morales - Percussion is guitarist, percussionist, composer and recording artist from East Los Angeles who began playing guitar and percussion at 12 years old. He has traveled the world as a professional musician, including performing alongside such artists as Black Eyed Peas, Cristina Aguilera, Ozomatli, Kanye West, and with Nino and Isaac de los Reyes. His early guitar studies began with family members, and continued at Pasadena City College and later the Pasadena Conservatory. In addition to studying Classical Guitar at the Conservatorio Profesional de Música Cristóbal de Morales in Sevilla, Spain, he also studied privately with Kenton Youngstrom of the Colburn School of Music, and highly regarded Spanish Flamenco guitarists El Entri, Kilino Jimenez, and Jesus de Rosario. While continuing his studies with world renowned flamenco guitarists, he has also been teaching guitar for over 15 years both privately and through organizations like the Neighborhood Music School, LAUSD and L.A.C.E.R. After School Programs. Beyond Flamenco guitar, he has released two contemporary collaborative albums - Dreaming Awake (Morales.Lara), and Burning Star (Burning Star, artist collective). As part of Burning Star, Gerardo Morales has performed with many popular artists like Linkin Park, Blackalicious, Jurassic 5, Slum Village, Rakim, Raekwon, Cypress Hill, System of a Down, Saul Williams, Black Eyed Peas, Ozomatli, Mos Def, KRS One and numerous other worthy acts. He is an essential member of LA’s Subsuelo, and under his direction produces Flamenco, Latin, Hip Hop, R&B, and Pop shows throughout the country. Gerardo Morales has worked on films including Toy Story 3, Little Fockers, and Think Like a Man.
Matt Amper - Piano is an multi instrumentalist and composer/arranger. His main instrument is the piano and has played in many genres such as Salsa, Latin Jazz, Rock, R&B, Gospel and many others. Matt also teaches Latin piano and percussion as well student salsa band ensembles. He works from his home studio, recording and making music for film and tv.
Gerardo Morales - Percussion is a percussionist, producer, songwriter, guitarist performing throughout the United States, Latin America and Europe. He produces Flamenco, Latin, Hip Hop and R&B shows in Los Angeles and is an essential member of L.A.’s Subsuelo. An East Los Angeles native, Gerardo was influenced from a young age by various styles of music, e.g Classical, Salsa, Rancheras, 80’s music, Hip Hop, Rock n’ Roll, and etc.; and began playing drums at the age of 12. He began studying cajón with Master Peruvian cajónero Zarandonga and Latin percussion with Ricardo Tikki Pasillas. Moving on to explore the rhythms of Flamenco; it was his dedication and natural affinity for rhythm that soon lead him to perform in LA’s most noted venues with artists including Amador Rojas’ Mandela, Manuel Gutierrez, Adam del Monte, and Yjastros Dance Company. He toured the U.S. with Niño and Isaac de los Reyes and was privileged to teach several master workshops for cajón at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA. Gerardo’s passion for music goes beyond percussion; he is also a classical and Flamenco guitarist having studied at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music and the Conservatorio Profesional de Música Cristóbal de Morales in Sevilla, Spain. While in Spain, he studied with El Entri, Kilinos Jimenez, Antonio Sanchez, David Marin and accompanied famed flamenco dancer Juana Amaya. As a Latin percussionist, Gerardo toured the U.S. with LA’s Burning Star and shared the stage with The Black Eyed Peas, Ozomatli, Christina Aguilera, Kanye West, KRS ONE, Linkin Park, Marcus Miller, Cyprus Hill. In 2012, he released his first album, Morales.Lara’s Dreaming Awake. He has worked on films including Toy Story 3, Little Fockers, and Think Like a Man. Gerardo is the founding member of the band The Mighty Tears of Joy, and is currently working on his newest album.