Featured Artists FFI'08

Antonio Canales is the son of a dancer and nephew of a cantaor. He was a solo dancer in the Ballet Nacional for three years and worked in several companies before setting up his own. He danced on stages all over the world, with artists of the stature of Nureyev, Maya Plisetskaya and Julio Bocca, with whom he shared the Mexico City Prize for the Best International Dancer in 1990. He was awarded the Navisela Prize for Best Dancer in Italy. In 1992, Canales set up his own company which debuted with A Tí, Carmen Amaya and Siempre Flamenco. His most successful show was Torero, with which he obtained the Premio Nacional de Danza in 1995. He has also received the Medalla de Andalucía and the Max Prize for the Best Dance Show for Gitano. A tireless creator, he brought several works to the stage: Bengues, Guernica, Raiz, Fuerza Latina, and La Cenicienta. He was featured in the album De Akí A Ketama. He also worked in cinema; he played an important part in the Oscar-nominated fi lm Montoyas y Tarantos, and starred in Vengo. Most recently, Canales completed shooting the fi lm Duende.

Manuel Liñán arrived in Madrid at the age of 17. He shared the bill with La Chunga at the tablao Café de Chinitas in 1997. A year later, he joined the Carmen Cortés Company. He also performed with the Adrián Galia Company. That same year, he performed in Gitanos del Sacromonte, presented at Seville's Bienal. In 2002, Manuel performs in venues such as Jerez's Villamarta Theater and Sevilla's Lope de Vega Theater in Campanas Flamencas and Maya by Juan Andrés Maya. In 2000, Manuel made his début as lead dancer of the Merche Esmeralda Company. During the same season, he also danced with La Tati, Manolete and Paco Romero. Between 2002 and 2003, he participated in the show Troya by Rafael Amargo and in A Cinco by Rafaela Carrasco. He premiered the company ESS3 with Daniel Doña and Marco Flores, with Un Millón de Emociones as their fi rst show. In 2004, he received awards as a choreographer and dancer at the 13th Spanish and Flamenco Dancing Choreography Contest. He took part in the show Los Caminos de Lorca, presented at Charles V Palace in Granada and the Maestranza Theater in Sevilla. The following year, he collaborated with Rafaela Carrasco in the show Una Mirada del Flamenco.

Rocío Molina began her dance studies at the Conservatory of Málaga at the age of 7 and graduated with honors from the Dance Conservatory of Madrid in 2002. She won awards such as the Ubrique Dance Prize, La Línea Dance Prize, Estepona National Dance Prize. In 1997 she appeared at the Goya Theater in Barcelona. As a member of the María Pagés Company, she has toured the main stages in countries such as Japan, France and Italy. She choreo- graphed the number Santa Justa of the show Cuatro Estaciones for this ballet. As a choreographer, she was awarded in the 11th Madrid Choreography Contest 2002. In 2003 she took part in the Madrid Flamenco Circuit, performed as guest artist at the Madrilenian tablao Las Carboneras and traveled to Korea with the Ramón García Flamenco Show. In 2004 she took part in Gala Flamenca, which premiered at the 53rd International Festival of Santander with Juana Amaya and Belén Maya, among others.

Marcos Flores perfected his training in Sevilla with Javier Latorre, Antonio Canales and Javier Barón. He started his professional career at Andalusian tablaos and festivals. In 2001, he became a member of the Sara Baras Company and performed in Juana la Loca. That year, Marcos also performed in Amargo by the Rafael Amargo Company. Since 2002, he has been a member of the Rafaela Carrasco Company, and performed in shows such as Una Mirada del Fla- menco. Marcos has also performed in Poet in New York by the Rafael Amargo Company as a soloist and coach. He began his solo projects in 2003, and founded the dance company ESS3 Movimiento with Olga Pericet, Daniel Doña and Manuel Liñán. He also premiered the show Dos en Compañía' with this Granada-born bailaor in August 2005. Marcos sill collaborates often with other companies, such as Gestos de Mujer by Mercedes Ruiz. He performs as a headlining performer at Las Carboneras tablao in Madrid.

Pastora Galván is the daughter of Sevillian bailaores José Galván and Eugenia de los Reyes. She studied Spanish dance at the Conservatory of Sevilla from 1990 to 1998 and traveled to the United States with the Flamenco Theater Company of San Francisco in 1995 and 1996. She taught courses at the University of Stanford and performed in France with the Israel Galván Company. Galván has shared the stage with artists such as Eva Yerbabuena, Fernando Terremoto, and La Susi. In 1998, she was hired by María Pagés to perform in La Tirana, which premiered at Sevilla's 2000 Bienal, and by Israel Galván to perform in Mira. She also performed in Valencia's Palau de la Musica with Trans- formación and at Sevilla's 2000 Bienal with La Metamorfosis, followed by Galvánicas at the 2002 Bienal. In May of the same year, Shoji Kojima invited her to dance in Japan with Duquende, Chicuelo, José Anillo and Encarnación Anillo. In 2004, she debuted Dos Hermanos with Israel Galván in Festival Flamenco Internacional de Alburquerque 2004.

Carmen la Talegona has performed as a soloist in fl amenco companies such as Rafael Amargo, Blanca del Rey, Manolete, Cristóbal Reyes and Juan Andrés Maya. At the age of 14 La Talegona started traveling throughout Andalucia sharing the stage with artists such as José Mercé, La Macanita, Chano Lobato, El Pele and Enrique Morente. La Talegona has worked in several famous tablaos such as Casa Patas, Sala Caracol, Café Latino, Corral de la Morería, and Corral de la Pacheca. She has travelled to Japan, Greece, Turkey, Eng- land, France and Holland teaching and performing. La Talegona performed as soloist in the Cristobal Reyes performance Pura Pasion, and starred as Maria Magdalena of Juan Andrés Maya La Pasion de Cristo. La Talegona's also had a premiere role in Eli "La Truco's" Remembranzas. La Talegona was a teacher at Amor de Dios in Madrid until 2006, when became a faculty member at the Fundacion Conservatorio Casa Patas where she continues with her educational work. At the moment Carmen la Talegona works very hard to balance her work of teaching with different collaborations in companies and tablaos.

Inmaculada Ortega was born in Jerez de la Frontera, Inamculada began her dance career at 7 years old with her brother, Domingo Ortega. She is a member of several companies including Ballet Albarizuela, Miguel A. Espino, and Carmen Cortés. As a solist, Inmacu- lada has worked with Ballet Albarizuela, as well as with Antonio Alonso, Domingo Ortega, Joaquin Ruiz. Some of her major perfor- mances include the Sevilla Universal Exposition, Theater Arriaga of Bilbao, Joyce Theater of New York, Theater Alcazar of Madrid, the Music Palace of Barcelona, International Day of Dance at the Theater Albéniz of Madrid, Grand Theater of Córdoba, Summer Festivals of the Villa of Madrid, Flamenco Festival of Jerez. Currently she is directing her own company, Aroma Flamenco, with which she has performed numerous shows. She has participated as a guest artist in performances directed by José Menese, Jorge Pardo, Enrique de Melchor, and Serranito. She is also a dance instructor at the dancer center, Amor de Dios, and a guest instructor in Japan, the United States, Greece, the United Kingdom and others.

El Veneno began his singing career at age 14 in local tablaos and tabernas in Spain. In 1974 he produced his fi rst record label with Los Chorbos, a Flamenco-Fusion group that leveled off the charts at number one. Further down his career path he worked with such fi gures as Manolo Caracol, Lola Flores, La Chunga, Antonio Canales and Joaquin Cortes. After working with various companies he continued singing with a group Cumbre Flamenca. For 3 years he worked with fl amenco greats such as Cristobal Reyes and La Chana, and toured throughout the world with Jose Greco and company. El Veneno is known throughout Spain for his powerful performances. He spent 8years as the artistic director of La Venta Del Gato, one of the most noted fl amenco tablaos in Spain. During the past year he fi nished editing his newest CD, CHORBOS 2001 with Los Chorbos, where he is referred to as, "a singer from birth with a voice as powerful and profound as his gypsy roots; he is without a doubt a man with the heart of fl amenco."

Joaquín Encinias began dancing as he began walking. He is a fourth generation fl amenco dancer and musician who received his earliest fl amenco lessons listening to his grandmother Clarita Garcia de Aranda sing in her garden. Today, Joaquin is widely acclaimed as the premiere male fl amenco dancer in the United States. His unique dance style is a dynamic blend of power, passion, technical mas- tery and elegance. Joaquin's musical talent and deep understanding of the art form make him a highly sought after fl amenco artist and instructor. His latest project has been in the founding and directing of the Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company.

Marisol Encinias began studying fl amenco as a very young girl with her grandmother Clarita Garcia de Aranda. As a fourth genera- tion fl amenco dancer, her artistic interpretation, stunning in its depth and purity, arises from Marisol's immersion in the art form early childhood. Marisol has studied fl amenco with some of the fi nest fl amenco artists in the world. She is an instructor for the National Institute of Flamenco, a member of the University of New Mexico dance faculty, and performs as a soloist with Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company.

Maria Laura Manzella is a native of Argentina. She began her studies in Argentina, and later traveled to Spain where she studied extensively with La Familia Farruco, Manolo Marin, and La Tona. She has performed for many years in various tablaos in Buenos Aires as the premier soloist. She now resides in Argentina, and is the director of her own company.

Teodoro Morca has enjoyed a long and productive career as a dancer, choreographer, teacher, lecturer and author. He has starred in his own companies, Morca Dance Company and Flamenco in Concert, in performances all over the world and the United States. Morca has been a guest artist and choreographer with Pilar Lopez, touring throughout Spain, England, France, Belgium, Holland, and Italy. He was featured dancer at the Cafe de Chinitas in Madrid with La Chunga. Morca has appeared as guest and/or choreographer with Lola Montes, Jose Greco, Pilar Lopez, Luis Rivera, Maria Benitez, Tony Alba, Maria Alba Teresa, and many other companies. Morca won the St. Denis Choreographic award in New York City for his Magic Boots Fantasy, Toccata and Fugue in D Minor of J.S. Bach; a choreographic award in Spain; and has also received various fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts. As a teacher, his methods are unique, intense and excit- ing. They stress a fi rm technical foundation and a deep understanding of how to make steps into a dance, how to look like a dancer, how to feel like a dancer and how to move like a dancer.

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