Lakewood, get ready for expression through dance with Flamenco Vivo dance company. The show “Fronteras” is coming April 15-18 to the Lakewood Cultural Center. Company founder and artistic director Carlota Santana is also excited to bring a bit of the Flamenco experience in the form of a weeklong artist-in-residence workshop.
According to the Lakewood Cultural Center, the Flamenco Vivo troupe will have a residency week that includes two performances, a workshop and a master class.
The Flamenco Guitar Masterclass will feature “flamenco guitar techniques, tonalities and rhythms,” according to the class description.
The class is open to ages 14 and up and is offered at 7 p.m. on April 17 at the Lakewood Cultural Center.
According to the center’s event description, The Flamenco Movement Workshop will “focus on instruction in rhythmic handclaps, arm movements, body posturing and footwork tailored to the participant’s experience level.”
Among the offerings is a workshop that will also be offered for active adults over age 55 at 11:15 a.m. on April 16 at the Lakewood Cultural Center.
Santana brings Flamenco Vivo to Lakewood after 40 years of traveling the world and spreading the love of the Spanish dance. Santana explained that she found flamenco dance through a workshop decades ago.
“Every time I think about it, it’s like a dream. Whoever thought we could get this far,” Santana said. “I started in flamenco in New York City. I took a workshop by a woman named Maria Alba, who was very famous back in those days.”
Santana said the dance gave her a way to express herself that was unique. “Flamenco is a strong art form,” she said. “As a female dancer, you can be strong and tough. Or you can be very delicate, and sensual also. So, there are different emotions that you can express through the art form. And I think that’s what attracted me to at most.”
Through Flamenco Vivo, Santana can share this experience with people all over the world.
“We’ve done a lot of arts and education and with kids,” Santana explained. She said flamenco helps kids and adults with movement and in handling their feelings.
“I do think that the emotional expression in flamenco is really universal,” Santana said. “I mean, we all feel the same thing happen. be sad, angry, whatever. And I think the ability to express one’s emotion through this art form is what draws people.”
According to Santana, “Fronteras” is the expression of a myriad of emotions. She said it was born out of the worldwide claustrophobia experienced during the pandemic in 2020.
“In ‘Fronteras,’ the artists are boxed in,” Santana explained. “You can see this big white box on stage, and they’re boxed in. And the question is, how do people relate to each other in this kind of boxed atmosphere, then the world? Do they fight do they get along? So that’s what kind of happens throughout the performance 72 minutes long.”
When Flamenco Vivo comes to Lakewood, Santana hopes that people learn to appreciate the music and movement.
“In the workshop, it’s a basic class in flamenco,” Santana said. “They learn about how to use their arms, how to use their body.”
She explained that posture and even pride are also important elements of the workshop.
“And then we’ll learn something about the footwork,” Santana continued. “Lorena Franco is one of our dancers who will be teaching the workshop.” Santana added that Franco is bilingual.
“Come and enjoy,” Santana said. “Leave your hangups at home. Come and get involved. Bring your emotions, bring your heart, get involved, watch it and enjoy.”
For a full residency week schedule, to register and for tickets to the shows, visit the Lakewood Cultural Center webpage.