Fuego Flamenco Festival celebrates 10 years at GALA
Photo by Guerrero Linares
A decade ago, flamenco was a rare, exotic sight in D.C. When the art form was presented, it almost always featured visiting flamenco artists imported from established scenes in New York, Los Angeles or Albuquerque — as well as its birthplace in Spain.
But Edwin Aparicio and GALA Hispanic Theatre have helped change that with the Fuego Flamenco Festival. “Now D.C. is on the map for having good flamenco dancers,” Aparicio says, “and we’re at a point where artists want to join either the festival or my company in order to be a part of it.” An internationally heralded flamenco ambassador born in El Salvador but raised and based in D.C., Aparicio teaches flamenco at the Washington School of Ballet when not performing and leading his company, Flamenco Aparicio Dance Company.
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This weekend ushers in GALA’s 10th Flamenco Festival, curated by Aparicio. “I’m putting together highlights from the 10 years that I’ve choreographed for the festival,” Aparicio says. “This year’s is going to be one of the most colorful and mixed shows I’ve presented in a while.” Aparicio will appear alongside dancers from his company and four musicians. Also performing as Aparicio’s special guest will be Ivan Vargas, “one of the greatest dancers right now in Spain.”
Next weekend the festival continues with a program co-presented by Madrid’s famous flamenco institution Casa Patas and featuring singers and musicians along with choreographers/dancers Mariana Collado and Carlos Chamorro. There’s also the annual free daytime program Flamenco en Familia, with interactive demonstrations of the art form.
Aparicio has already started planning for next year’s 11th festival, which he says “will be a little bit more avant-garde.” But the year 2015 will start with a short tour through Central America performing with his company, followed by an annual pilgrimage to Spain. Though approaching 40, Aparicio doesn’t anticipate slowing down. “I’m going to continue dancing as much as I can,” he says. “And whenever I can’t I’ll just continue running the festival. So we’ll have 10 more beautiful years ahead of us.” — Doug Rule
Flamenco Aparicio Dance Company performs Friday, Nov. 7, through Sunday, Nov. 9. Fuego Flamenco Festival runs to Nov. 16 at GALA Theatre at Tivoli Square, 3333 14th St. NW. Tickets are $35 to $45 for each performance. Call 202-234-7174 or visit galatheatre.org.
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