Rebeca Ortega Flamenco Company Cambridge - AZAHAR

RAÍCES - FLAMENCO Dance Company from Spain, Rebeca Ortega.

Dancer: Rebeca Ortega from Seville, Spain

Singer: Natalia Marín from Seville, Spain

Guitarist: Ramón Ruiz, from Granada, Spain, London based

WHEN: Sunday 30 june at 7pm. Doors open at 6.40pm.

WHERE: Wesley Methodist Church, Christ’s Pieces, Cambridge, CB1 1LG.

From the deepest roots of flamenco, this dan show is born, shaped by the luminosity of the alegrías, the depth of the taranto, the rhythms of the tangos and bulerías and the jondura of the soleá and the farruca.

Like the newly germinated seed that is nourished by the dewdrops, this work is the sensorial path that blossoms like azahar from the lament of the traces of the past towards the uncertain and graceful future.

Passion, strength and the extraordinary flight of her hands are in perfect harmony with the elegance and the sensuality of the most authentic flamenco dance.

BIOGRAPHIES

REBECA ORTEGA

"She has it all: Beauty, a stylised and flexible body, elegance, finesse, charisma, rhythmic sense that prints a way of dancing with its own identity. Rebeca Ortega's dance defines her..." - Written by Aquí Madrid

Rebeca Ortega is an internarionally acclaimed Spanish notable flamenco dancer and director of her company with a long trajectory which has led her to perform and direct workshops in England, Wales, Scotland, Denmark, Portugal, France, Belgium, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, China, Ethiopia (Africa), Gabon (Africa), Trinidad and Tobago (The Caribbean), after being "Raíces" sected at the AECID catalog supported by the Spanish embassies and Madrid Theatres Network catalogs.

Rebeca has trained extensively in flamenco, classical Spanish dance, ballet, and contemporary dance in prestigious dance schools such as the Professional Conservatory of Dance, Seville, or the most recognised flamenco schools, Madrid's Amor de Dios and Seville's Flamenco Danza.

Aged 19, Rebeca began her professional career, and for four years she performed and taught flamenco in the UK while completing her university studies, which led her to create, direct, and choreograph the group “Nottingham Flamenquitas”.

As part of the flamenco company Teatro Flamenco La Tati, Rebeca performed in “A mi manera”(My Way), directed by internationally recognised flamenco dancer and choreo-grapher La Tati, at Madrid's Teatro Conde Duque in 2015.

Also notable is her work as a solo dancer in international flamenco guitarist Ricardo García's company, where she participated in four productions at the C venues theatre as part of the 2016 and 2017 Edinburgh Fringe Festivals, all of which received prestigious reviews and awards. From 2017, Rebeca travels to Denmark to perform and research on the “Rendez-vous” production, a duet show with circus artist Villads Bugge Bang, performing an original piece that plays with flamenco dance, body percussion, circus, and physical theatre.

In 2019, Rebeca undertook her first UK tour with her production “Callejondo” (Alley), and during the pandemic, her project “FlamenCaravana” was televised in Spain.

From 2022, Rebeca collaborated with other renowned artists, including the famous Spanish jazz fusion group Patáx - when she combines the dance movements of Michael Jackson with flamenco - and performs frequently at the renowned London Jazz Café as part of the Ramón Ruiz Ensemble.

In 2023 she undertook an extensive and very successful UK tour with “RAÍCES”. Following her participation in 2021’s Suma Flamenca Joven at the Teatros del Canal, Rebeca premiered “RAÍCES” at the Teatro La Fundificación in Seville. The show was the third finalist in the Young Creators in Dance Madroño Contest in Madrid. In consequence of being selected at AECID catalog by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Spanish Cooperation, “RAÍCES” has traveled to tour Germany, Switzerland, China, Gabon (Africa) with the collaboration of the SpanishEmbassy. Before the end of the year 2023, more tours are planned to Ethiopia, Malasia and Trinidad and Tobago. Last week, “RAÍCES” was also presented at prestigious flamenco festival Suma Flamenca.

NATALIA MARÍN

Born in Seville, with an extensive consolidated career, she has performed in the most important tablaos, flamenco festivals and theaters at a national and international level. It is worth mentioning the Flamenco Biennal with the show of the Federation of Flamenco Peñas, in collaboration with the Provincial Council of Seville, the Flamenco Festival of Tomares, Coria del Rio. Within the tablaos, she has worked at "Los Gallos" or "Museo del baile Flamenco" in Seville. She appears on television programs such as "La Llama Viva", "El Musical" and the TVE contest, “GENTE DE PRIMERA”.

Natalia has shared stage with artists of the stature of José de la Tomasa, Jesús Heredia, Juan José Amador, Curro Fernández, Calixto Sánchez, Esperanza Fernández or La Paquera de Jerez, among others.Shee has been accompanied by renowned musicians such as Manolo Franco, Martín Revuelo, Manolo Brenes, Manuel Molina, José Manuel Postigo, Tomatito or Dorantes, among others. She has sung to the dance of artists such as Javier Barón, Antonio Márquez, Alejandro Granados, Junco, Rafael de Carmen, Torombo, Marcos Vargas, Carmen Ledesma or Lola Greco.

She has performed as a regular artist in the company of Yoko Komatsubara since 1998, in great shows such as "Solo Flamenco", "Bodas de Sangre", "Carmen", "Córdoba Lejana", "Flamenco Pasado, Presente y...", “Tierra y Fuego”, “Yo elegí en flamenco” or “Goya”, among others, with performing in the best theatres internationally, in cities such as Tokyo, Osaka (Japan), New York (USA) , Singapore, Bangkok (Thailand), Sau Paulo (Brazil) and at the Calderón Theater (Madrid), Imperial (Seville), La Catedral del Cante in La Unión (Murcia) and Las Chumberas (Granada)

RAMÓN RUIZ

Ramon Ruiz is UK’s leading flamenco guitarist. He shares his art and passion for flamenco with everyone who is curious, appreciating a wonderfully diverse and interesting following.

Born in Granada and trained in Seville’s renowned flamenco tablao ‘Los Gallos’, by generation of world famous flamenco artists who are no longer with us, Ruiz continues developing his art from London, although Andalusia will always be his home.

As a highly sought after flamenco guitarist, composer, recording artist and teacher Ramon is very busy. He is a regular guest on BBC Radio 3 along with top UK venues including The London Jazz Cafe, each time producing something new for his audience.

With extraordinary dexterity and musicality in both traditional and contemporary stylistic genres, Ramón recently recorded his third album “ Calle Lunga” in Abbey Road Studio. It includes all original compositions and arrangements.

Calle Lunga was inspired by Ruiz’s journey of nearly 40 years mastering flamenco guitar internationally. His music beautifully expresses complex emotion, mastery and maturity in both composition and performance.