Festival of Flamenco Arts & Traditions featuring MANUELA CARRASCO & Co. June 15, 2010

Like a flock of doves above her head, the delicate hands of Manuela Carrasco are enough to make audiences catch their breath and fall silent. Yet this international star, known in her native Spain as the Queen of Gypsy Flamenco Dance, remains strikingly down to earth, honoring the grassroots that sparked her art and maintaining traditions rarely seen on American stages. She was born in Triana, a neighborhood in Seville, where important chapters of flamencos history were forged in the Gypsy blacksmith shops. When she was only 18 years old she was named Goddess of Flamenco Dance by the Spanish Gypsy congressman and social activist, Juan de Dios Ramirez Heredia. Carrasco is a lively link in a chain of tradition going as far back as India to the subcontinental roots of the Roma people. She embodies this history and represents the enduring strength of a people who have survived by confronting disenfranchisement and discrimination with grace and beauty, poetry and dignity. The last time she came to California was in the late 1980s when touring with the legendary show "Flamenco Puro", along with La Fernanda de Utrera, El Farruco and El Chocolate, some of the most influential names in flamenco at the time. Manuela appears in two of Carlos Saura's film "Flamenco" and "Sevillanas". The virtuosity and depth of her artistry have been recognized at the highest level of Spanish society. In 2007 she was honored by Spain's Ministry of Culture with the Premio Nacional de Danza and in 2008 she received the Medal of Andalucia. Watch Video of Manuela

EL TOROMBO Francisco José Suarez is an important representative of traditional flamenco. "El Torombo" – a purist of Gypsy-style dance, unites tradition and his own unique understanding of flamenco. Known for his philosophic approach, he views flamenco as a zen-like practice. As a young dancer he performed side by side with Juana Amaya, Belén Maya and with the director Mario Maya in Europe, Asia and America. His honest, authentic and elementary dance style inspires audiences all over the world. Today, he is a much sought-after Flamenco dancer and works together with other artists like Farruquito, Manuela Carrasco, La Susi, Tomatito and Potito

Official Website: http://www.BayAreaFlamencoFestival.com