The most internationally renowned flamenco festival features 25 shows.
Since only the best performers are invited, the 16th Festival of Jerez will be offering world-class flamenco from 24 February-10 March 2012. It’s a groundbreaking event, which goes beyond the limits of the stage, since the critics, the general public and the attendance of nearly 1,000 students from 40 countries confirm it as the most important flamenco and Spanish dance festivals of its kind.
At the Villamarta Theatre, the official programme will commence with the show "Metáfora" performed by the Flamenco Ballet of Andalusia, while the closing ceremony will feature Joaquin Grilo’s new show "La mar de flamenco," with 16 days of the best that flamenco can offer in between.
Students from 40 countries
The festival’s programme also includes 44 dance, clapping and rhythm workshops, which, as always, are so popular that only six workshops still have available places.
Alegrias, bulerias, tangos, solea and siguiriyas are some the flamenco styles that will be covered in the clapping and rhythm workshops, which are geared both to dance students and amateurs.
World-class flamenco in Jerez
The programme
Lasting more than 15 days, the festival will feature shows, concerts, conferences and master classes at the Villamarta Theatre, dance performance at la Sala Compañia, and flamenco singing at the Palacio Villavicencio.
This coming edition of the festival will be attended by several National Dance Award winners, including Rocio Molina, with "Vinática," Maria Pages, with "Utopía," and Israel Galvan, with "La curva," without forgetting the recent award winner Javier Latorre, from Cordova, responsible for the choreography of "¡Viva Jerez!", stage directed by Francisco Lopez, the dancer Antonio El Pipa and the singers Macanita and Jesus Mendez.
Besides, dancing, singing and guitar music performances have been scheduled at the Palacio de Villavicencio, as a part of the "Conciertos de Palacio" cycle, featuring the singers Miguel Lavi, Rafael de Utrera, Pedro El Granaino and Vicente Gelo, and the guitarist Antonio Rey. Other guitarists will include Alfredo Lagos and Dani de Moron, performing at the Sala Compañia, with the special guest appearance by the dancer Angeles Gabaldon.
The festival’s programme also has its pedagogical side. In addition to the scheduled workshops, there will a series of pedagogical activities in collaboration with the Andalusian Flamenco Centre (CAF).
The festival’s programme will not only be limited to the Villamarta Theatre, the Sala Compañia and the Palacio Villavicencio, since the city’s flamenco clubs will also be providing evening entertainment. In addition, complementary activities will include presentations, conferences and talks, scheduled to be held in the morning at the San Gines Winery.
The festival’s programme is available at: www.festivaldejerez.es.
