FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 8, 2006
Contact: 604-671-9182

FLAMENCO FOOTWORK AND CHINESE MELODIES FUSE IN MOZAICO FLAMENCO’S CAFÉ DE CHINITAS

VANCOUVER, BC: Flamenco innovators Mozaico Flamenco Dance Theatre and the renowned musicians of the Orchid Ensemble team up to present Café de Chinitas, a one-of-a-kind dance theatre spectacular where lyrical Chinese melodies interact with Flamenco’s fiery footwork in an ‘East meets West’ combination never before seen on a Vancouver stage.

On Saturday, October 28th at 8 PM, Mozaico Flamenco Dance Theatre transports the audience assembled in the Norman Rothstein Theatre to an enchanted café where red-golden cheong sams and Oriental melodies fuse with Flamenco’s virtuosity and bravado. “While Flamenco has been fused with jazz and Latin music, it has never been expressed with a Chinese element, so this idea is truly original and extremely relevant for the City of Vancouver,” says Project Artistic Director Kasandra.

This memorable evening of dance theatre features Kasandra, Oscar Nieto (Artistic Director), Peter Mole (Guitar) and the Mozaico Flamenco Dance Company. Also on the bill: guest artist Keiko Ooka—a tantalizing singer direct from Madrid—and Santa Barbara-based dance soloist Pablo Pizano. Tickets go on sale September 9th through Ticketmaster (604-280-4444 or www.ticketmaster.ca).

Café de Chinitas takes its name from an actual Spanish locale: in the mid-18th century, Café de Chinitas was a Flamenco singers’ coffee shop in the city of Malaga in Southern Spain. Noted poet Federico Garcia Lorca described the inside of the café as an Andaluz patio made of pebbles, strewn with wooden tables and chairs. Built with Moorish arches and columns, balconies lined the lateral walls and huge mirrors glamorized the establishment. The stage attracted many of the era's famous Flamenco artists. Historians surmise that the name Café de Chinitas arose from Andalucia's extensive commerce with the Orient (primarily the Philippines) during this era. Many Asian women, commonly known as ‘chinitas,’ would regularly attend the cafe, leading to its eventual name.

An appreciation for multiculturalism comes naturally for Mozaico Flamenco Dance Theatre, whose dancers represent diverse backgrounds including Spanish, Mexican, English, Chinese and Filipino. “[Café de Chinitas] is an opportunity to prove that our Canadian company can perform Flamenco at the highest calibre with great artistic integrity, and in a way that reflects our own cultural identity,” says Kasandra.

The show opens with Artistic Director Oscar Nieto’s choreography of a traditional Petenera also entitled ‘Café de Chinitas,’ with lyrics by Federico Garcia Lorca recounting a tale of two matador brothers. The evening unfolds with many traditional and contemporary Flamenco dances including Solea, Cana, Solea por Buleria, Alegrias, Tangos and Bulerias.

Join us for a magical evening of Flamenco song and dance!