Fiesta Flamenca
Spanish Dance Company
DBA/CoCo Girls - Las Flamencas Inc. Spanish Dance Theater
Cast
Mina Shibata (Dancer/Choreographer/Teacher)
was born in Japan, trained extensively in Flamenco, Classical Spanish
Dance, Escuela Bolera, Jazz, Tap, Classical Ballet, and Percussion. Minako
received her flamenco training in Madrid, Spain from Alejandro Granados,
El Guito, Ciro, Carmela Greco, La Tati, and also Jose Molina in New York.
She has performed as a soloist at Carnegie Hall with American Bolero Dance
Company and in numoreus theaters, nightclubs and TV(CH13, FCI, CH34) in
Manhattan and the tri-state area. She has performed "Sotoba Komachi"
at La MaMa E.T.C. in June of 1995. She founded "CoCo Girls - Las Flamencas
Inc. Spanish Dance Theater" in 1996. She performed "Pasando"
at La MaMa E.T.C. in October of 1997 and performed "10 Seconds of My
Fame" with Elena Andujar at St. Clement's Off-Broadway Theater in May
& June of 1998. Mina was received over 80 different articles and review
from prestigious journals such as The New York Times, The Village Voice,
Asahi Shimbun, The Yomiuri America, Yomiuri Shimbun, OCS News, Kyodo News,
Time Out , El diario, Noticias Del Mundo, NY Dance Fax, SPA, and others.
The Villege Voice wrote: "....impressive flamenco techinique....".
She performs regularly at the Xunta Tapas Bar.
Alda Reuter(Percussionist/Dancer)
Originally from Mexico City. Alda has studied percussion and dance extensively
in Cuba, Mexico and the United States. She has been performing internationally
for the past ten years with many prominent music and dance artists in prestigious
arts centers, universities, T.V. and radio throughout Central and South
America. She has performed in Lincoln Center & Carnegie Hall. Since
arriving in New York she has played for and studied with Jose Molina. She
is a co-founder of Fiesta Flamenca. She has recorded with Sangre Azteca,
Nuesta America Negra, Los Foekloristas etc.
Arturo Martinez (Flamenco Guitarist/Composer)
a native of Chicago, he began playing the electric guitar at the age
of 13 in the tradition of Afro-American music. He was drawn to flamenco,
and began his studies while on tour in Europe. Mr. Martinez has accompanied
such renowned Gypsy dancers as: Chuni Amaya, Joaquin Fajardo, and Concha
Vargas, as well as Maria Alba, Pilar Rioja, and Andrea del Conte. He recently
appeared at the public Theatre in the producion of, "The Gypsy and
The Yellow Canary" with Ms. Irene Worth, and directed by George C.
Wolf. Mr. Martinez's credits include: Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall
in New York City with Maria Alba Spanish Dance Company, The Bitef International
Theatre Festival in Yugoslavia, The Espace Cardin Theatre of Paris, Beaux
Arts Theatre Brussels, the Lincoln Center Outdoor Festival in New York City
with Pilar Rioja, the Andrea del conte Danza Espana, The Free Street Theatre
of Chicago, and La MaMa, Experimental Theatre Club with "Sotoba-Komachi".
Mr. Martinez has also produced The First and The Second New York Flamenco
Festival. In these festivals, Mr. Martinez accompanied over 30 different
flamenco singers and dancers during the period from 1990 through 1995. He
is currently developing a dance theatre piece, through 1995. He is currently
developing a dance theatre piece, "Cordoba 1492," (Spanish Inquisition),
and "Sarajevo 1992," (500 Years of Genocide). Arturo was the guitarist
for this company's debut production, "Pasando" in October of 1997
for which he also arranged the music compositions.
Blanca Perez (Dancer)
born in Mexico City, began dancing Mexican folk dancing at the age of
5. She began studying flamenco in Mexico. In New York, She toured throughout
the United States with Jose Molina's Bailes Espanoles, as a soloist. She
has also studied with Repompa and Raquel de Malaga, Juan Andres Maya, Elena
Andujar, Alejandro Granados, and has been studying extesively with Soledad
Barrio, a dancer noted for her intricate and complicated choreograghy. She
performed with Juan Andres Maya at Symphony Space in 1997. She has performed
"Pasando" at La MaMa E.T.C. in October of 1997.
was born and raise in New York City, and was trained in classical guitar
by Dennis Koster.His flamenco guitar teachers include Arturo Martinez and
Luis Heredia. Carlos has performed with the Carlota Santana Spanish Dance
Company, Andrea del Conte Danza Espana, Eva Lucena Spanish Dance Company
and Karim Noack Flamenco Dream Company. He has also performed at La MaMa
E.T.C. at the Annex as the guitarist for the production of "Sotoba
Komachi". Presently, Carlos performs regularly at the Xunta Tapas Bar
and Coney Island High in New York City. He is a member of CoCo Girls - Las
Flamencas Inc, and performed in their debut production of Pasando in October
of 1997.
David Manuel Castellano(Singer)
coming from an Andalucian family, his interest in "Cante Flamenco"
was born in his blood. He began singing at a very young age and has adopted
many different styles of flamenco. He has toured the east coast of the U.S.
withe a variety of flamenco dance companies. Recently he's been performing
in the New York aria in the major flamenco spots.
Don Riepe, "Don Diego" (Director/Dancer)
is a native of New York and has been involved with the Flamenco community
for over 30 years. He studied with Mariquita Flores and Victorio Korjhan
and the late Orlando Romero for flamenco dance training. In the past , Don
has appeared as a dancer in the Lincoln Center Outdoor Festival, and performed
with Gabriela Granados. Also, he has performed with Minako Shibata and Blanca
Perez in Various flamenco show. Currently, he works as a biologist for The
United States Department of the Interior - National Park Service.
Sophia Islam(Dancer)
was born in Karachi, Pakistan and began her formal dance training at
the age of eight with the Karachi School of Ballet. Besides ballet training,
Sophia also studied classical and folk Indian dance. She continued her dance
training in New York, and joined the Ballet Argentino Raices under the direction
of Luis Bruna performing Argentine Tango and Folklore, and made her debut
at Symphony Space, and later performed for many seasons at Thalia Spanish
Theater. She later joined Jose Molina Bailes Espanoles and toured internationally
and throughout the United States as both a soloist and corps member. Other
companies include Andrea Del Conte & the American Spanish Dance THeater
at Dance Theater Workshop and Thalia Spanish Theater and Sol Y Sombra Dance
Company. She has studied with numerous teachers in New York as well as in
Spain such as Ciro, La Tati, Concha Vargas, Soledad Barrio, Belen Maya,
Manolo Marin, and La Farruca.
