El Pintor - A World Premier An Original Flamenco Dance Drama Set in Cordoba, Spain
Theresa Cardenas Productions In Association with Maria Benitez and the Institute for Spanish Arts Presents the World Premier of EL PINTOR (The Painter)
Santa Fe, New Mexico—Fabulous flamenco continues this summer when Theresa Cardenas presents the world premier of El Pintor (The Painter), an original flamenco dance drama written and directed by Cardenas and choreographed by internationally known flamenco choreographer Pablo Rodarte.
Performances take place every night of the week except Mondays, from July 3 through July 23, at 8pm at The Lodge of Santa Fe, 750 North St. Francis Drive.
The cast of El Pintor comprises some of the most recognized flamenco dancers and musicians from around the world, including featured dancer Adriana Maresma Fois now residing in Jerez, Spain. The original music for El Pintor was recorded in Madrid, Spain in 2004 and composed by Calvin Hazen who is originally from Taos, NM and now resides in Madrid.
"Thanks to Maria Benitez and The Institute for Spanish Arts for over 40 years of dedication to the art of Flamenco, the level of flamenco talent that both exists in Santa Fe and is drawn to Santa Fe is remarkable,” said Cardenas. “I am really honored to be exploring the possibilities of the rich Spanish heritage of northern New Mexico and our connection to Spain through the art of Flamenco,” she continued. Cardenas, originally from Santa Fe, was introduced to flamenco by her mother, Elizabeth (Isabel) Serna de Cardenas, who studied Spanish dance professionally and opened her own studio in Santa Fe in 1951.
El Pintor is an interpretation through flamenco dance and original music of a period in the life of the highly regarded Spanish painter Julio Romero de Torres (1874-1930), his passion for art and living, and the women he painted. The storyline focuses especially on his relationship with the model for his masterpiece, La Chiquita Piconera, (the Little Coal Girl). Through dance, music, poetic Spanish lyrics, and with the backdrop of visual images, El Pintor brings to life the characters in de Torres’ paintings like a tableaux vivant.
Born in Cordoba in the Andalucia region of Spain, Julio Romero de Torres was known for his sensual portraits of women, and for his images of flamenco dancers and musicians. He caused a great scandal with his "hyper-realistic nudes," and in 1906 the National Exhibition of Fine Arts banned his "Vivadoras del amor". For the people of this region of Spain, de Torres is a folk hero. The Museum of Julio Romero de Torres at his former residence in Cordoba houses examples of his work, songs have been written about him, and a number of movies have been made about his life.
Tickets for El Pintor are $30-$45 and can be purchased by calling 505-988-1234 or online at www.ticketssantafe.org. Performances begin at 8pm. The Lodge at Santa Fe is located at The Lodge of Santa Fe, 750 North St. Francis Drive.
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Theresa Cardenas Productions is a Flamenco Production Company based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded by Theresa Cardenas in 2001, the company develops and produces dance dramas and musical recordings that reflect New Mexico’s rich Spanish heritage. Theresa Cardenas Productions has staged original flamenco dance productions in Albuquerque at the Kimo Theater and the National Hispanic Cultural Center and in Santa Fe at the James A. Little Theater. Theresa Cardenas is a published author, producer, and director of New Mexico historical documentaries and has a close affiliation with internationally known dancer Maria Benitez and the Institute for Spanish Arts in Santa Fe. Theresa can be contacted via email at tcbuild @flash.net.
