Ballet Flamenco La Rosa soloist Mayelu Perez. (Photo by Jenny Abreu)
Ballet Flamenco La Rosa is emerging from the pandemic with a program of pure flamenco this weekend. Ilisa Rosal, founder and Artistic Director of the Miami based company says “flamenco has a tremendous range of styles, emotions, and qualities.”
“Camino Flamenco” brings together four strong flamenco dancers with different styles: Irene "La Chiqui" de Malaga, Mayelu Perez, Sandra Baras and “La Emi.” Each dancer showcaseS her own choreography and improvisation in her solo. “I am the most traditional,” says Rosal. “ My choreography is very traditional even though it’s still original work in my style.”
Rosal speaks of each flamenco dancer having their own path. "Flamenco is a very individual dance form and everyone develops their own style. “Camino Flamenco” is an exploration of the different styles of flamenco music and dance. “ Each of these artists come from a different training and place. It’s always interesting to collaborate and bring the various styles together to see how we each work with each other’s style. The process is very exciting, which the audience doesn’t get to be a part of.”
In addition to the four flamenco dancers, Rosal brought in Andres Vadim, a flamenco guitarist, as well as singer Joe Cortes, both from California, to collaborate on the project. This weekend’s program include Seguiriyas, Tangos de Granada, Alegrias, and Bulerias among other forms of flamenco music and dance.
“In rehearsal you can feel the energy. Everyone is working at their peak. They are gifted and highly skilled artists. The quality of the work is very exciting, it’s something that’s seldom seen anywhere,” says Rosal.
At left, Ballet Flamenco La Rosa soloist Irene "La Chiqui" de Malaga. At right, Ballet Flamenco La Rosa soloist La Emi. (Photo by Jenny Abreu)
During the pandemic, Rosal applied for and received funding for five different projects. Some were specific to the COVID-19 experience while others required the work to be online. In the case of one project, Rosal collaborated with dancers and musicians in Granada, Spain with flamenco artists in Miami for an international cultural project.
Rosal is also dedicated to expanding flamenco educational content on social media. “Flamenco is still an art form that is not fully understood. Most people are only familiar with the most commercial form, which is only a small part of what flamenco is.” She would like to offer online a much more in depth understanding and study about flamenco itself. “ We plan to continue to offer our programs online. It has opened up a whole new way to connect with a larger and different audience. We are developing a national and international following for our company.”
With “Camino Flamenco” Rosal says she is “most excited about the quality of the work. These are all high level artists who are really dedicated to the project. In our rehearsals you can just see the energy and inspiration. Everybody is working at their very best. The artists are extra excited to be doing live theater again. There is nothing like the energy in a live performance,” says Rosal.
“Camino Flamenco” presented by Ballet Flamenco La Rosal. Saturday November 13 at 8 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 14 at 3 p.m., Miami Dade College Koubek Memorial Center, 2705 SW 3rd Street, Miami 33135. Tickets: General Admission: $30; Students and Seniors: $20. Call: (786) 877-3421, (786) 320-6982. For tickets, click here.
