Year: 2025-2026
DanceForce Member: Kim Engel
Artists: Soles of Duende
Community Partners: Cohoes School District; Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana; Proctor’s Theatre, Schenectady; Union College Department of Theatre and Dance, Schenectady
Audience: 1,185
Counties: Albany, Saratoga, Schenectady

Soles of Duende was in residence in Schenectady from October 15-17, 2025 through a collaboration between Union College and Proctors. Activities included two performances (one educational and one public), percussive workshop, lecture/demonstration and two communal meals. The residency was planned and executed by the Assistant Director of Programming for Proctors Collaborative and the Director of Dance and Dance Residency Coordinator at Union College.

Based in the sounds of tap, flamenco and kathak, Soles of Duende’s three dancers meld cultures and forms while communicating rhythmically with each other and the group’s three musicians. The sextet celebrates their respective forms and practices while showcasing the power of embracing differences.

The residency marked the first appearance by Soles of Duende in the Capital Region. It was the 16th annual residency that Union College’s Dance Program has brought to the area with the support of donor funds. It marked the second collaboration between Union and Proctors. It was also the second time that the host partners jointly engaged with the Cohoes School District for the benefit of its students.

On October 15th, Soles of Duende traveled to the Capital Region and shared in a communal dinner with the artists involved in Flamenco Vivo’s annual certamen which happened that same week in Saratoga Springs. The concentration of so many artists in the region at the same time prompted this opportunity to allow them to connect and socialize.

On October 16th, Soles’ dancers and musicians offered a morning performance at Cohoes High School for the entire student bodies of two of the district’s elementary schools, approximately 800 K-5 students. That evening, they presented two activities on the Union College campus: a percussive workshop for dancers and musicians and a lecture/demonstration. Following these events, the artists participated in a second communal dinner; this time with college administrators, donors, department faculty, residency hosts and dance students.

On October 17th, the residency culminated with a performance of “Can We Dance Here” in the intimate GE Theatre at Proctors for the Union College community and the general public. A Q&A session between artists and audience followed.

Wendy Liberatore’s review in TO THE POINTE started with, “If this were a perfect world, it would look like Soles of Duende.” She went on to say, “This incredible sextet oozed joy in a bubbling mix of percussive styles demonstrating that differences are not to be feared, but marveled.”

One audience member commented, “The performance wasn’t just about bringing people in; it was about creating a space where the spectators became more than an audience; we became participants in a moment.” She concluded with, “Souls of Duende doesn’t just perform, they embody the idea of belonging, and in doing so, they gift the audiences something they feel and can’t forget.”

Soles of Duende shared this: “We were thrilled with the performance….we ended up having one of the best shows we’ve ever had – hands down. The audience, the house, the energy — outstanding.”