Year: 2024-2025
DanceForce Member: Carlota Santana
Artists: Emilio Ochando, Carlota Santana
Community Partners: Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Audience: 975
Counties: New York, Saratoga
Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana presented the 10th annual Flamenco Certamen USA, which offered unparalleled support for flamenco dancers at all stages of their careers. Although Flamenco Certamen is inherently a competition that takes place annually in October, the primary goal this year was to create opportunities for participants to experience exponential growth and expand their network of support, all while combining quality education and performance with community engagement beyond the island of Manhattan. Ten (10) rising flamenco artists residing throughout North America were selected through an application process to engage in a residency intensive and then to compete in the Flamenco Certamen USA. From October 16th–20th, 2024, the participants attended daily sessions at Flamenco Vivo’s Studios in Midtown Manhattan. There, Finalists received extensive support in the form of classes, mentorship, and coaching from esteemed flamenco mentors (Fanny Ara and Rebeca Tomas) and musicians (Ricardito Sanchez and Jose Moreno). While building their competition solos, they generated valuable connections with professionals working in the field as well as fellow Finalists. One benefit to conducting the residency in NYC was the Finalists were able to experience the broader cultural offerings in the city and make connections beyond those participating in the program. The residency culminated with an open dress rehearsal.
“The mentors and professional musicians filled the room with joy but also got down to business. Their insight helped me understand the importance of communication through my movements.” – Anonymous Finalist
The Flamenco Certamen Finals took place on Monday, October 21, 2024, at the Triad Theater in NYC. Finalists were evaluated by a panel of professional artists (Deirdre Towers, Jorge Navarro and Laura Castellano) and awarded prizes, including opportunities to study and perform in the U.S. and Spain. During the jury’s deliberations, students from Flamenco Vivo’s arts education programs from Repertory Company High School performed a demonstration of their choreography and technique, showcasing the multitude of ways that flamenco artistry can develop. Led by Teaching Artist Arielle Rosales, the demo was enthusiastically received by the audience and inspired many of the high school students to work towards applying to the Certamen after graduating.
To expand the project’s reach beyond NYC, Certamen Mentors Fanny Ara and Rebeca Tomas and the rest of Flamenco Vivo’s professional Company (6 dancers, 4 musicians in total) conducted additional outreach activities during the Company’s technical residency at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. We conducted an open level master class on Tuesday, March 4th, an Open Rehearsal on Wednesday, March 5th, and two educational performances in Spa Little Theater for over 800 students from across the Capital Region. Being able to facilitate these additional engagement programs helps Flamenco Vivo deliver on the mission of sharing the art form with diverse audiences.
The Flamenco Certamen USA has expanded what was previously available to flamenco artists in the Americas. With multi-tiered opportunities for growth, this program continues to broaden the reach of the art form across geographic boundaries.