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Ole! Flamenco festival to do more than just tease
PAULA CITRON
From Wednesday's Globe and Mail
August 8, 2007 at 4:11 AM EDT
Lionel and Alexandra Felix are following their dream. They have quit their day jobs and put up $70,000 of their own money to mount what they hope will become the annual Toronto International Flamenco Festival. Running Aug. 10 to 15, their festival is the first of its kind in Canada, and only the third in North America after New York City and Albuquerque, N.M.
Flamenco festivals are very specific in nature, be they in France, England, Germany, Italy, Japan or Spain. Concerts by top-notch and emerging flamenco artists anchor the evenings, but the days are devoted to intensive workshops. Says Lionel Felix: "Touring flamenco shows are teasers. They come to town for a single concert, but leave nothing in the local market. A flamenco festival showcases top artists not only as performers, but as teachers who provide professional development and personal enrichment."
As the Felixes point out, however, not all superstar flamenco dancers are gifted teachers. Their research led them to Alicia Marquez, who has not only performed with the greatest flamenco companies in Spain, but whose Seville studio is regarded as one of the top flamenco training centres in that country. Marquez's career reads like a who's who of flamenco. She has danced for Jose Antonio, Antonio Gades, Paco Pena, and filmmaker Carlos Saura.
This first festival is, understandably, of modest proportions.
Marquez has put together an original show, Aire Flamenco, which kicks off the festival with shows Aug. 10 and 11 at The Music Hall.
The following week, Marquez, her dance partner Nano, singer Jesus Corbacho Vasquez and guitarist Manuel Perez will each give intensive classes in their specialties. Of particular note is a Felix innovation. Nano will be teaching a styling class for men only. The curated evening concerts at a local watering hole will feature performances by dancers, singers and guitarists attending the festival.
With Toronto flamenco star Carmen Romero acting as interpreter, Marquez was reached by phone in Seville. As she says about her beginnings: "I started taking dance classes when I was 4, and by 11, flamenco was my life."
Marquez, who is 35, was born in Seville. Her father was a perfume salesman and her mother a housewife. Marquez was exposed to all things artistic and creative, including painting, singing and dance. While Marquez excelled at everything, it was in dance that she found the greatest freedom to express herself. When asked what inspires her in flamenco, Marquez points to the philosophical lyrics of the songs. "It's their profound verses and musicality that touch my heart," she says.
Her mother chose her teachers very carefully. When she was 8, Marquez was put with the legendary Matilde Coral, who gave her a solid technique because along with flamenco, she also taught regional and classical Spanish dance. Marquez remained with Coral until she was 18.
Every flamenco dancer has his or her own personality. Marquez's trademark is her consummate elegance, powerful expressiveness and exquisite femininity.
Her specialty is the alegrias, a dance performed with a long train, or the bata de cola, which involves great technical skill. According to Marquez, the train must become an extension of the dancer's own body as a manifestation of her womanly wiles.
In 2000, Marquez started to put together her own shows, although she still continues to work with others when the great ones call. "I wanted to see what I had, what I was made of. I had to find out if I had my own vision," she says. In fact, she was an instant success; Aire Flamenco is Marquez's North American debut under her own name.
The title of the show was chosen by Marquez and Nano as they were creating the solos and duets they are bringing to Toronto. Because they both breathe flamenco differently, they thought the title expressed their individualities. Valencia-born Nano, who started dance training in 1991, represents the new generation of flamenco artists. He cut his teeth in the company of the great Cristina Hoyos, and in 1998 won first prize in Madrid's prestigious Spanish Dance and Flamenco Choreography Competition. Says Marquez: "I chose Nano to work with me because of his heart."
Marquez is married to her first boyfriend, whom she met when she was 14. His business is dental prostheses, and the couple have a four-year-old daughter, Gabriela. Marquez opened up her own teaching studio when she was 24 and her focus is building strong technique in her students. When asked why this Toronto flamenco festival is important, Marquez says it is a way of communicating first-hand the strength, the power and the passion of flamenco from people who live it and breathe it.
Romero agrees. "Canadian dancers, guitarists and singers have to diversify their training. It is essential for growth in any art form, and this festival means they can do that here in Canada. While the festival is importing Spain to Toronto, Toronto, in a way, is exporting Spain to all the people who come here to study. It makes the city a top flamenco centre."
And a final word about the ambitious Lionel and Alexandra Felix, who are as unlikely candidates to start a flamenco festival as could be imagined.
Lionel was born in Haiti, grew up in Montreal, and was a star football player at the University of Waterloo, where he graduated in actuarial science. Toronto-born Alexandra is of Italian heritage. She got her masters in French translation at the University of Montreal and worked in marketing for a French company. They have two children, Jenna, 4, and Jonas, 2.
When a knee injury sidelined Lionel in his third year of university, he took up ballroom dancing as rehabilitation. The couple met at a Toronto salsa club and became dance partners, good enough to reach the gold level in competition. However, Lionel was so driven by dance that he wanted to pursue the art form intensively on his own and not be dependent on a partner. That led him to flamenco. "I don't look like a traditional flamenco dancer," he says with a laugh. "I have the build of a football player."
The enterprising Lionel began a company, The Art of Expression, in 1996 to fill a need in the flamenco community. He imports top-quality, handmade flamenco shoes and portable dance floors from Spain, and now has customers all over North America.
Alexandra has been the nuts-and-bolts organizer who has devoted a year and a half of her life putting the festival together. Lionel is the artistic arm and resident dreamer. Says Lionel: "You could say our passion outstrips our budget."
The performances of Alicia Marquez's Aire Flamenco take place at the Music Hall, Aug. 10 and 11 (416-870-8000). For festival details, visit http://www.torontoflamencofestival.com.
F
PAULA CITRON
From Wednesday's Globe and Mail
August 8, 2007 at 4:11 AM EDT
Lionel and Alexandra Felix are following their dream. They have quit their day jobs and put up $70,000 of their own money to mount what they hope will become the annual Toronto International Flamenco Festival. Running Aug. 10 to 15, their festival is the first of its kind in Canada, and only the third in North America after New York City and Albuquerque, N.M.
Flamenco festivals are very specific in nature, be they in France, England, Germany, Italy, Japan or Spain. Concerts by top-notch and emerging flamenco artists anchor the evenings, but the days are devoted to intensive workshops. Says Lionel Felix: "Touring flamenco shows are teasers. They come to town for a single concert, but leave nothing in the local market. A flamenco festival showcases top artists not only as performers, but as teachers who provide professional development and personal enrichment."
As the Felixes point out, however, not all superstar flamenco dancers are gifted teachers. Their research led them to Alicia Marquez, who has not only performed with the greatest flamenco companies in Spain, but whose Seville studio is regarded as one of the top flamenco training centres in that country. Marquez's career reads like a who's who of flamenco. She has danced for Jose Antonio, Antonio Gades, Paco Pena, and filmmaker Carlos Saura.
This first festival is, understandably, of modest proportions.
Marquez has put together an original show, Aire Flamenco, which kicks off the festival with shows Aug. 10 and 11 at The Music Hall.
The following week, Marquez, her dance partner Nano, singer Jesus Corbacho Vasquez and guitarist Manuel Perez will each give intensive classes in their specialties. Of particular note is a Felix innovation. Nano will be teaching a styling class for men only. The curated evening concerts at a local watering hole will feature performances by dancers, singers and guitarists attending the festival.
With Toronto flamenco star Carmen Romero acting as interpreter, Marquez was reached by phone in Seville. As she says about her beginnings: "I started taking dance classes when I was 4, and by 11, flamenco was my life."
Marquez, who is 35, was born in Seville. Her father was a perfume salesman and her mother a housewife. Marquez was exposed to all things artistic and creative, including painting, singing and dance. While Marquez excelled at everything, it was in dance that she found the greatest freedom to express herself. When asked what inspires her in flamenco, Marquez points to the philosophical lyrics of the songs. "It's their profound verses and musicality that touch my heart," she says.
Her mother chose her teachers very carefully. When she was 8, Marquez was put with the legendary Matilde Coral, who gave her a solid technique because along with flamenco, she also taught regional and classical Spanish dance. Marquez remained with Coral until she was 18.
Every flamenco dancer has his or her own personality. Marquez's trademark is her consummate elegance, powerful expressiveness and exquisite femininity.
Her specialty is the alegrias, a dance performed with a long train, or the bata de cola, which involves great technical skill. According to Marquez, the train must become an extension of the dancer's own body as a manifestation of her womanly wiles.
In 2000, Marquez started to put together her own shows, although she still continues to work with others when the great ones call. "I wanted to see what I had, what I was made of. I had to find out if I had my own vision," she says. In fact, she was an instant success; Aire Flamenco is Marquez's North American debut under her own name.
The title of the show was chosen by Marquez and Nano as they were creating the solos and duets they are bringing to Toronto. Because they both breathe flamenco differently, they thought the title expressed their individualities. Valencia-born Nano, who started dance training in 1991, represents the new generation of flamenco artists. He cut his teeth in the company of the great Cristina Hoyos, and in 1998 won first prize in Madrid's prestigious Spanish Dance and Flamenco Choreography Competition. Says Marquez: "I chose Nano to work with me because of his heart."
Marquez is married to her first boyfriend, whom she met when she was 14. His business is dental prostheses, and the couple have a four-year-old daughter, Gabriela. Marquez opened up her own teaching studio when she was 24 and her focus is building strong technique in her students. When asked why this Toronto flamenco festival is important, Marquez says it is a way of communicating first-hand the strength, the power and the passion of flamenco from people who live it and breathe it.
Romero agrees. "Canadian dancers, guitarists and singers have to diversify their training. It is essential for growth in any art form, and this festival means they can do that here in Canada. While the festival is importing Spain to Toronto, Toronto, in a way, is exporting Spain to all the people who come here to study. It makes the city a top flamenco centre."
And a final word about the ambitious Lionel and Alexandra Felix, who are as unlikely candidates to start a flamenco festival as could be imagined.
Lionel was born in Haiti, grew up in Montreal, and was a star football player at the University of Waterloo, where he graduated in actuarial science. Toronto-born Alexandra is of Italian heritage. She got her masters in French translation at the University of Montreal and worked in marketing for a French company. They have two children, Jenna, 4, and Jonas, 2.
When a knee injury sidelined Lionel in his third year of university, he took up ballroom dancing as rehabilitation. The couple met at a Toronto salsa club and became dance partners, good enough to reach the gold level in competition. However, Lionel was so driven by dance that he wanted to pursue the art form intensively on his own and not be dependent on a partner. That led him to flamenco. "I don't look like a traditional flamenco dancer," he says with a laugh. "I have the build of a football player."
The enterprising Lionel began a company, The Art of Expression, in 1996 to fill a need in the flamenco community. He imports top-quality, handmade flamenco shoes and portable dance floors from Spain, and now has customers all over North America.
Alexandra has been the nuts-and-bolts organizer who has devoted a year and a half of her life putting the festival together. Lionel is the artistic arm and resident dreamer. Says Lionel: "You could say our passion outstrips our budget."
The performances of Alicia Marquez's Aire Flamenco take place at the Music Hall, Aug. 10 and 11 (416-870-8000). For festival details, visit http://www.torontoflamencofestival.com.
F