In October of 2021, Flamenco Vivo presented its 7th event for emerging artists, the Flamenco Certamen USA. The NYS DanceForce has supported this program through all of its iterations: from a single performance in 2014 to the inclusion of a week-long residency at Lake Placid Center for the Arts. Lake Placid provided extensive resources including 4 studios, family-style housing and technical support. During this residency, finalists worked in depth with industry mentors and musicians to harness their artistic strengths and generate meaningful relationships. The final live performance took place on October 15th at the Bruno Walter auditorium at Lincoln Center in NYC.

This was Flamenco Vivo’s first time in partnership with Lake Placid Center for the Arts, and the residency center created a unique opportunity to build a community of artistic inspiration, cultural sharing, and collective growth. Amidst the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, LPCA was the ideal location for creating an intimate but communal shared space for artists to re-awaken their passion together.  LPCA gave us the necessary studio space with appropriate flooring for flamenco.  The opportunity to utilize a shared space also allowed LPCA staff to observe and witness the work being done by Certamen artists during a dress rehearsal of the Certamen program on the final day.  Although limited in size due to the pandemic, these interactions lead to an important artistic and cultural exchange between Flamenco Vivo and Lake Placid.  Flamenco Vivo has been invited to return for its 2022 Flamenco Certamen USA programming so that we may create more opportunities for artistic development and collaboration more fully with the greater Lake Placid community.