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2015 / 2016 Touring Season

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Indelible evenings. Authentic tradition. Unflinching drama. Juan Siddi Flamenco Santa Fe's immersive experience in the passionate and disciplined world of flamenco is reaching loyal and growing audiences in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and beyond.

Infusing old-world tradition with new attitude, Juan Siddi Flamenco Santa Fe perpetuates the rich heritage of a centuries-old art form. The remarkable ensemble of thirteen flamenco dancers, musicians, and singers is hand selected, with careful curation guided by the distinct aesthetic of artistic director/choreographer, Juan Siddi.

The internationally renowned Siddi, an award-winning dancer, instructor, choreographer and performer, trained in Germany with strong artistic roots in Barcelona and Granada. His ensemble blends top-notch dance artists and musicians from the U.S. or, steeped in authenticity, from Spain, as JSFSF is a key member of a vibrant, global flamenco network.

The troupe dates to 2008 when Santa Fe legend Maria Benitez passed the artistic torch to Siddi. Since then, the company's furious footwork has drilled through annual summer seasons at Santa Fe's Maria Benitez Theatre. The company recently received strong community recognition when Juan Siddi was granted the Mayor's Award for Excellence in the Arts in 2011.

From its base in the American Southwest, the company has spread its wings, touring both nationwide from Atlanta, Wisconsin, Ft. Lauderdale and New York City, and overseas, to Germany and Qatar. JSFSF has been featured in television broadcasts of NBC, Telemundo and Al Jazeera.

Over the years, some of flamenco's biggest names have made guest appearances with JSFSF; singers Jose Cortes from France, Silverio Heredia and Coral de Los Reyes from Spain, pianist Alex Conde from Valencia, as well as dancer Carola Zertuche have performed with the company.

JSFSF musical director Jose Valle Fajardo “Chuscales,” a native of Antequera, Spain, grew up in the tradition of the Gypsies as a protégé of Joaquin Fajardo and an ardent admirer of Paco de Lucia. A trained dancer as well as a guitarist, Chuscales collaborated with some of Spain’s most outstanding flamenco artists before joining JSFSF, now, for five seasons.

It is with great pride that Juan Siddi Flamenco Santa Fe announced, in January 2014, its joining the management structure of the esteemed Aspen Santa Fe Ballet. By operating under ASFB's established arts umbrella, JSFSF stands to benefit from economies of scale and other business synergies, as well as a simpatico artistic alliance.

Juan SiddiFlamenco Santa FeHistory

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Greetings from Santa Fe to our presenter associates, I write to you at an exciting moment for my company. With great pride, I would like to share that Juan Siddi Flamenco Santa Fe has come under the umbrella of Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, longtime friends and now trusted business partners. Known for an innovative administrative structure, ASFB is lending us their nearly twenty years of experience, expertise and support. This frees me to focus my energy on creative matters.

Juan Siddi Flamenco Santa Fe serves as an ambassador for the authentic version of Flamenco culture I was exposed to during my childhood in Europe. The company’s American roots are steeped in the Southwest’s rich Hispanic community, further, in the heady atmosphere of our arts capital of Santa Fe. By assembling 15 of the finest musicians and dancers from around the world, many from Spain, we have fashioned this unique offering. It’s a rarity, as well, to showcase a male-led Flamenco company; this is not the case in Europe, but for some reason it is here!

It is my true honor that Cathy Pruzan has added me to her impressive roster of artists. Please contact Cathy for further information. Let’s bring flamenco fury to your audience soon!

We would love to hear from you.

Best wishes,

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Cathy PruzanArtist Representative

4709 Paradise DriveTiburon, CA 94920

phone 415-789-5051 | fax 415-789-5055cpruzan@aol.com

FOR BOOKINGS PLEASE CONTACT:

Juan SiddiArtistic Director - Juan Siddi Flamenco Santa Fe

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Juan Siddi Flamenco

Finds new footing with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet

by Debra Levine

When opportunity knocks, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet stands ready. And when a worthy associate seeks support, ASFB widens its dance umbrella. A just-announced act of arts entrepreneurialism involves an expansion: the addition of Juan Siddi Flamenco Santa Fe to the ASFB family, spawning a vital new branch for the robust arts organization.

“It is serendipitous…and inspiring,” admits Executive Director Jean-Philippe Malaty. Forging an unprecedented partnership between a renowned contemporary ballet company and a fledgling flamenco troupe should not come as a total surprise, Malaty contends: “Responding well to opportunity has been intrinsic to Aspen Santa Fe Ballet’s history and development. It’s been one of our strengths.”

Siddi’s intimate cluster of dancers and musicians has burned a furious brand of world-class flamenco for the past six years. Expanding beyond a core clientele that comprises Santa Fe locals, tourists, and cognoscenti, the troupe has attracted the attention of theaters around the country and begun to tour.

The Spanish-born Siddi got his New Mexico start when flamenco pioneer Maria Benitez anointed him as her Santa Fe successor. His local reputation escalated rapidly, so much so that in 2011, he was granted the Mayor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, Santa Fe. Deborah Lawlor, the acclaimed impresario of “Forever Flamenco” in Los Angeles where he performed in the past, is a key supporter: “Juan is a wonderful dancer who draws on the resources of Santa Fe and Albuquerque, one of the nation’s prime flamenco hubs.”

The addition of Juan Siddi Flamenco Santa Fe is a further expression of ASFB’s core mission. Through its presentation series, ASFB has already introduced many dance companies in both home cities. Sharing and leveraging knowledge and riches is deep-seated in the company culture. A commitment to community and diversity has been a beacon throughout ASFB’s history.

Further, beyond its core activity of incubating contemporary choreography from around the world, ASFB holds the value of preserving heritage and cultural dance. Evidence is found in the organization’s longtime folkloric program reaching more than 300 children in Aspen

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Juan Siddi Flamenco Santa Fe ON TOUR 2015

and Santa Fe combined. This award-winning approach to community outreach stems from a belief that the joy of dance, for non-dancers, is best accessed in a familiar and relevant cultural milieu. A professional flamenco troupe, representing truly the zenith of Spanish cultural dance heritage, provides the community with a model of excellence beyond that of classical ballet.

Good timing galvanized the partnership: “Over the past eighteen years, we’ve accrued deep knowledge, relationships and a reputation in the performing arts market,” says Malaty. “A few years ago, we were confronting a recession, coping with heavy touring, struggling for permanence. Having reached more stable ground, it becomes possible, and even attractive, to transfer our knowledge for the benefit of a devoted artist like Juan.”

There is more than a modicum of self-recognition in the act. “We remember all too well when ASFB was six years old. We were on the cusp of a breakthrough, broaching the next level.” Therefore, says Malaty, “It all feels so familiar. We understand intrinsically what needs to happen for Juan Siddi Flamenco Santa Fe.”

So it’s not pure altruism. Malaty sees tremendous benefit converging on ASFB: “We will gain the privilege to deepen our spirit of collaboration, preserve cultural heritage, expand diversity, serve as an incubator for new ventures, encompass more forms of dance and play a role in the future of a endangered art form.”

Siddi likes ASFB right back: “They are such an admirable company. The whole organization is very established, professional and respected. They are an international compass; they are out there and recognized for it.”

By incorporating his operation into that of ASFB, Siddi gains access to the ballet company’s largely hidden asset: its team of seasoned arts administrators. ASFB will provide critical support services: booking, marketing, audience development, communications, fund raising, fiscal management. This bank of knowledge, transferred in doses over time, should fast-track the Siddi troupe’s advancement.

Siddi gets that. “Their staff can take a lot of pressure off my shoulders,” he says. “Before, I have almost done everything, from choreographing to applying for artist’s work visas and arranging their housing. Then the financing part, managing and creating budgets. With the help of ASFB, I’ll have more freedom to focus on the production.”

But why flamenco? ASFB Artistic Director Tom Mossbrucker chimes in: “We see artistic excellence in what Juan does. Flamenco is so appealing: the women are charismatic and powerful; the musicians are exceptional and accomplished – often virtuosi. Juan himself is a remarkable dancer. There’s an unusual complexity and refinement in his dancing that we appreciate.”

Beyond all the alluring artistic affinities, the venture has pragmatic footing in the business of the performing arts. Mossbrucker has a vision. “Together with Juan, we want to go beyond the company’s current tablao-style presentation (cabaret in a hotel) into a theatrical format with full production values. We believe that this offering, given Juan’s authenticity, will have appeal to presenters around the country.”

The historic Lensic, Santa Fe’s Performing Arts Center, with its Moorish-style architecture, provides a perfect fit for flamenco. Lensic Executive Director Bob Martin says: “For companies that are artistically driven, it is wonderful when they get strong management. It can be nothing but positive. From The Lensic’s perspective, more dance is good for dance. I think it’s going to be a mutually beneficial relationship.”

“It’s a privilege rather than a burden to help a fellow dance company reach its potential,” says Malaty. “Juan Siddi Flamenco Santa Fe has demonstrated true grit over the past six years, difficult days for any arts organization but for dance in particular. The bottom line is that Juan’s troupe merits our support.”

Los Angeles writer Debra Levine marks 30 years of dance criticism in 2014. She blogs about dance, film, music and more on artsmeme.com.

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Angel De La GuardaChoreography: Juan Siddi and Carola ZertucheFandangos de Huelva Intro by Alex Conde, Piano Music: Jose "Chuscales" Valle FajardoLighting: Seah Johnson

Re-EncuentroChoreography: Juan Siddi and Carola ZertucheMusic: Jose "Chuscales" Valle FajardoLighting: Seah Johnson

PHOTO: ROSALIE O'CONNOR

PHOTO: ROSALIE O'CONNOR

Juan Siddi Flamenco Santa Fe galvanizes global flamenco talent in electrifying and authentic showcases conceived in the company’s home base of Santa Fe. Founded in 2008, the company’s crowd-pleasing performances immerse aficionados, as well as those newly fascinated by flamenco, in a centuries-old world of song and dance.

Lead dancer and artistic director Juan Siddi’s rigorous choreography captures flamenco’s rich cultural heritage and infuses it with contemporary flair. Virtuosic musicians and vocalists, many hailing from

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Spain, heighten the dramatic power. The company has left memorable impressions touring the U.S., Europe and Middle East.

In 2014, Juan Siddi Flamenco Santa Fe joined forces with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet for a shared management structure and enhanced artistic synergies.

Discover Juan Siddi Flamenco Santa Fe.

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NatarajLord of Dance - Tientos/Tangos de Granada Choreography: Juan SiddiMusic: Jose "Chuscales" Valle FajardoLighting: Seah Johnson

SoleaChoreography: Juan SiddiMusic: Jose "Chuscales" Valle Fajardo and Alex Conde, partly based on Erik Satie’s GymnopediesLighting: Seah Johnson

Sabor HavanaHavana Flavor - Guajira Choreography: Juan SiddiMusic: Jose "Chuscales" Valle FajardoLighting: Seah Johnson

Fiesta FlamencaAlegrias de Cadiz - Fin de Fiesta Choreography: Juan SiddiMusic: Jose "Chuscales" Valle FajardoLighting: Seah Johnson

PHOTO: ROSALIE O'CONNOR

PHOTO: ROSALIE O'CONNOR

PHOTO: ROSALIE O'CONNOR

PHOTO: ROSALIE O'CONNOR