Flamenco Gypsy (Romani) Dance and Music. Visual Arts: painting -abstract expressionism, oil on canvas. Pre-history: primordial wisdom, indigenous groups, universal archetypes. Nature, animals, rock-collecting, beachcombing and motorcycling. Adventure, laughter, irreverence...asking why rather than how. I love hiking in some of the best places on earth: Ronda, Spain; White Sands and Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico; the Grand Canyon, Arizona; Death Valley, California; Newport, Oregon; Botanical Beach, Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast, B.C.; Jasper and Banff, Alberta; the Cape Breton highlands, Nova Scotia.
Music
Guitarists Diego del Gastor, Paco de Lucia, Sabicas, Manolo Sanlucar, Manitas de Plata, Manolo de Huelva. Singers Pastora Pav?n (“La Ni?a de los Peines”), Antonio Mairena, Manuel Torre, El Camar?n de la Isla, La Fernanda de Utrera, Agujetas Viejo, the unique Moorish style of Lole (Dolores Montoya Rodr?guez). Dancers Carmen Amaya, Manuela Carrasco and Eva Yerbabuena - who else!!! I've got so many artists to add. Nothing grabs my guts more than a Buler?as de Jerez or Sole?, with 'voz rajo.'
Movies
Latcho Drom.
Vengo.
Los Tarantos.
Gadjo D?lo.
Books
The Art of Flamenco, and Lives and Legends (Donn Pohren). Anything on Lorca, Romani/Gypsy culture, the ancient Anasazi, Hopi, Inuit and Maori groups, shamanism. Tomes on philosophy, Spinoza, Socrates, Einstein, art of the Dadaists, Marcel Duchamp, Surrealists, Man Ray, Les Fauves, the Nabis and Symbolists.
FUEGO FLAMENCO. Exciting audiences with sizzling passion and raw energy in live performance, ignited by dynamic, guitar rhythm, heart-pounding dance and percussion. Journey deep into the fire and mystery of flamenco 'autentico'!
PLEASE SEE SELECTED PERFORMANCES.
FUEGO FLAMENCO – Sizzling Flamenco Dance & Music:
Karen (Karolina),dancer(bailaora),instructor, choreographer and founder, with guitarist Paul Doleman and guest members, thrilling audiences with electric passion and raw energy in live performance for seven years. Bringing their extensive experience from around the globe to audiences throughout Atlantic Canada, their artistry shines, through a unique interpretation and improvisation of traditional flamenco dance and music, inspired by the gypsies of Southern Spain. Expressing the depth of life’s raw emotion, Fuego Flamenco ignites the fire and mystery of pure flamenco, with dynamic, haunting guitar and powerful, heart-pounding rhythms of dance.
Karen (Karolina)- BIOGRAPHY and BACKGROUND:
PROFESSIONAL AND EXPERIENCED Flamenco dancer(bailaora), instructor, choreographer and founder of FUEGO FLAMENCO, TEACHING flamenco dance to all ages since 2003, privately and publicly, across the Atlantic region.
PEFORMANCE & EXPERIENCE
SINCE 1995 I have performed professionally across Canada, in Victoria and Halifax, while training extensively in Jerez de la Frontera and Sevilla, Spain - considered the cradle of flamenco, as well as in the United States and Canada, under renowned artists including Concha Vargas, C�ro, Mar�a Berm�dez, Yaelisa, Carmen Romero, Luisa Maravilla, Ana-Mar�a Lopez, Oscar Nieto, Manuel Reyes Maya, Salvador Moreno "El Tigre" and others.
My style represents a return to a raw and traditional way of dancing Flamenco, based primarily in the school of Jerez and inspired by the Gypsy (Romani). It is sparse and full of the silences which inject the dance with great soul, emotion and duende, the true essence of authentic flamenco. Reaching for the primal heartbeat of this art form, my approach continues to develop its own distinct flavour, forging raw expression with improvisational performance, innovative choreography and dedicated teaching.
SELECTED FUEGO FLAMENCO PERFORMANCES across the Atlantic Region include:
-Dance Nova Scotia's Kinetic Studio Series 2007/08 -
choreographer's performance
-Dance Nova Scotia’s Dikita International Women’s Festival -
Opening performance and workshop
-MANS Multicultural Festival(since 2002)–Performances and
workshops
-Ross Creek Center for The Arts –Performance and workshop
-St. Francis Xavier University –Performance and workshop
-HRM Canada Day
-The Dalhousie University Club
-The most prestigious Halifax Club
-A performance and interview on CTV’s Breakfast Television
-A feature article in Halifax Chronicle-Herald’s Spotlight.
Fuego Flamenco: booking information and 2008 workshops:
Call 425-2035, email karen.abbey@gmail.com, Visit the DANS website, myspace.com/karenabbey or check out Facebook! Please keep checking for a complete calendar of upcoming events.
Who I'd like to meet: All afic�onados. But Eva Yerbabuena, Juan Mart�n and Joaqu�n Cort�s, all again.
I was fortunate to meet and converse with famed flamenco afic�onado, guitarist and author Donn Pohren and wife Luisa Maravilla, at a private juergita in Victoria BC, April 2000. It is with great sadness that Donn passed on November 7, 2007. Truly the end of an era.
Karen Abbey-Fuego Flamenco's Friend Space (Top 15)
Thanks for the add, Keep in touch. "The Book of Contemporary Conga Techniques" which I co-wrote with Latin great Hector "Pocho" Neciosup is NOW AVAILABLE on www.clmeducators.com
Jose Rosa is available for Master classes, Live performances or Studio recordings for more information contact him at 786-539-6269
Online Now!
