Valentine's Day aside, The Rise of Flamenco would be a sexy way to spend any Friday night. Lucky for romantics, Orchestra of New Spain, Dallas Flamenco Festival and Danielle Georgiou Dance Group collaborated on a show for this weekend, just in time to save your previously lackluster dinner plans.
This weekend, Dallas City Performance Hall transforms into 1920s Spain, with inspiration from some of the country's great artists -- poet Federico Garcia Lorca, composer Manuel de Falla and painter Joaquín Sorolla. In anticipation of the show, we spoke with Delilah Buitron, artistic director of Dallas Flamenco Festival and 2013 Dallas Observer Mastermind.
Tell us a little bit about the show this weekend The Rise of Flamenco will be an enchanting evening of great Flamenco and Spanish folk music, song and dance. We will transport you to 1920's-30's Spain emoting sentiment, passion and power on stage. The deeper we are in rehearsals, we have realized that it is really an opperetta- with a hot cast!
Is it true you started dancing flamenco when you were 3 years old? I began dancing ballet at 3 years old but flamenco at about 6 in Laredo. My dance partner Antonio Arrebola says he began flamenco at 8 years old in Malaga, Spain. His mom wanted him to dance with the girls.
How is flamenco different than other styles? In flamenco there is a song and dance that expresses every human emotion; the artist's palette must be very big!
What is the one thing about flamenco that most people don't know? That flamenco is an art form that, although it is deeply rooted in Spanish culture, and has that strong base of structure and form, it continues to thrive and evolve every day.
Where else might we see you perform flamenco in Dallas? The Ochre House Theatre in the Spring for a tablao (think Cabaret-style) show and at Dance Planet 18 in April.
You have also been a burlesque performer in Dallas, are there similarities? Burlesque? Oh yes, I did! and loved it. The similarities are the guts and sassy humor. Flamenco has a lot of guts and although very deep and serious in emotions, it has a a lot of humor. The flamenco humor is so keen, raw and savvy. The more you see flamenco you begin to identify those nuances in some dances and dancers.
You still perform theater occasionally, right? Where might we have seen you recently? For the past two festivals, Antonio Arrebola and I have been doing real Flamenco Theatre collaborations with the Ochre House. The actual combination of bilingual dialogue, original story and flamenco dance set to live music. Perro y Sangre which will debut in New York in October 2014 at La Tea theater, originally premiered at Ochre House in 2012. This past October we did El Conde Dracula, which rocked!
Where do you see the overlap in dance and theater? It is most evident in this production that we are doing! There is a real physical characterization and commitment to style.
What is your long-term goal with your company? I want Dallas, Texas, be the next flamenco mecca in the USA because Dallas has flamenco in its DNA!
Tickets for The Rise of Flamenco start at $25.
