January 7, 2003
Contact: Susan Gwynne
(805) 893-2098
e-mail: gwynne-s@sa.ucsb.edu
Spanish superstars Juana Amaya y Farruquito to give fiery flamenco performances at UCSB Campbell Hall
Summary Facts:
- Juana Amaya y Farruquito
- Por Derecho, sizzling Flamenco Puro from Spain
- Two of the most talented Gypsy dancers from Seville
- Acclaimed for their technique, passion and commitment to pure and traditional flamenco
- Tuesday & Wednesday, February 11 & 12 / 8 pm
- UCSB Campbell Hall
- General: $35 and $30, UCSB students: $19 and $16
- Tickets/information: UCSB Arts & Lectures at 893-3535
Juana Amaya and Farruquito, two of Spain’s greatest flamenco artists, will present two evenings of passion, precision and pulse-pounding excitement on Tuesday and Wednesday, February 11 and 12 at 8 pm in UCSB Campbell Hall. Accompanied by two other dancers and eight musicians, Juana Amaya and Farruquito will perform Por Derecho, the very essence of flamenco. According to Farruquito, Por Derecho means “to go back to your roots and dance in a pure style, to dance with authenticity, transparently and baring your soul.” These two talented Gypsy dancers from Seville are acclaimed for their charisma and virtuosic footwork. While both Juana Amaya and Farruquito are brilliant alone, the excitement of their current eleven-city U.S. tour, which also visits New York, Berkeley and Washington, D.C., is seeing them dance together for the first time.
The grandson of the legendary gypsy dancer El Farruco, Farruquito (Juan Manuel Fernandez) has become one of the most celebrated figures in contemporary flamenco dance. Director Carlos Saura’s evocative film Flamenco (1995) captured the close bond between these two in a stunning dance sequence. Since Farruco’s death in 1997, Farruquito has been hailed as his true heir, with all of his theatrical expressiveness, flamboyance and skill. After a performance in 2000, The New York Times wrote, “At 18 Farruquito is already one of the great flamenco dancers of this new century. With the power and purity of his technique and the magic of his brooding presence, he is nothing less than sensational.“
Juana Amaya learned flamenco from her Gypsy family and by age 14 was already performing in eminent dancer and choreographer Mario Maya’s company, touring the world in spectacles like Ay Jondo and El Amargo. From 1984 to 1994 Amaya frequently danced in Cumbre Flamenca, taking breaks to perform with Joaquin Cortes and Antonio Canales. In 1994 she formed her own company, but still was frequently requested as a guest star in others’ performances. In 2000 she starred with Plácido Domingo in Jules Massenet’s opera Le Cid. “She is an extraordinary, fascinating artist,“ according to the Financial Times (London). “Her art is laid bare for us—nuanced but fierce, uncompromising, stunning.”
Juana Amaya and Farruquito will present Por Derecho with fellow dancers Farruco and Jairo; guitarists Roman Vicenti, Paco Fernández and Raúl López (“El Perla”); singers María Vizárraga, Enrique (“El Extremeño”) and José Valencia; and percussionist Juan Ruiz.
Farruquito will teach a flamenco dance class on Monday, February 10 from 7-9 pm at the Franklin Neighborhood Center, 1136 E. Montecito Street, Santa Barbara. It costs $15 for students and $5 for observers. This class is sponsored by the Santa Barbara Dance Alliance; for information and to make a reservation, please phone 966-6950.
Juana Amaya y Farruquito are presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures in association with the Santa Barbara Flamenco Arts Festival and sponsored by the Santa Barbara Independent and Tinta Latina. Tickets are $35 and $30 for the general public and $19 and $16 for UCSB students.
For tickets or more information,
call UCSB Arts & Lectures at (805) 893-3535.
Editor: For photos, please call
Susan Gwynne at (805) 893-2098.