On December 21st, I moderated Aire Libre: Flamenco in Contemporary & Experimental Spaces. This event is the culmination of what has become a year’s worth of research focused on the flamenco arts as a resident artist of the Jonah Bokaer Arts Foundation. I have invited artists, arts leaders, and scholars from the flamenco community to facilitate a discussion of what happens to the flamenco art practice when it is extracted from the tablao, restaurant, peña, and studio and put into spaces, arenas, and theaters that encourage experimentation and daring. The artists on this panel all come from varied backgrounds and experiences with this culturally specific artform but have a practice and a viewpoint that encourages challenges to set norms and finding a way to express their individual voices. In curatorial collaboration with Leslie Roybal of Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana, I am inviting U.S. and international flamenco audiences, contemporary and experimental dance audiences to listen in on the types of art being created outside of the traditional flamenco narrative. ———————--
The Panelists:
Elba Hevia Y Vaca, Dancer, Artistic/Executive Director and Founder Pasión y Arte
Fernando López Rodriguez. Contemporary flamenco artist and dance researcher HISTORIA QUEER DEL FLAMENCO. Desvíos, transiciones y retornos en el baile flamenco (1808-2018)
Niurca Márquez Experimental flamenco artist and researcher
Sonia Franco Gutierrez “Sonia Libre” Bailaora, Actriz, Coreógrafa with translation provided by
Ryan Rockmore, Queer Flamenco Dancer-Researcher, Educator, and PD.D Candidate in World Arts and Cultures/Dance at UCLA.