home

Live

Learn

Resource

About Us

home

What's On:

Flamenco Express Live _ Harry's Place 29th Jan 2012

The Hottest Flamenco in Town

Featuring La Joaquina & Chris Clavo with guests Manuel Malena fom Jerez de La Frontera, the heartland of flamenco song. Manuel is the essence of flamenco puro - no true music lover can pass by the chance to experience his devastating emotional commitment and stage presence.

And Jesus Olmedo - 2005 Award winner for outstanding contributions to Spanish Dance at the Teatro Albeniz in Madrid and a master of Madrid-style electric footwork.

7.30pm £8/£7 concs

Reservation Hotline 0207 732 8493

More Info..

Flamenco Express

Live

Shows

Live:

Shows

Shows
Artists
Photos
Videos
Music
Reviews
Bread and Roses

29.01.2012 Flamenco Express _ Harry's Place, London. info..

26.02.2011 Bread & Roses, Clapham, London.info..

01.04.2012 Flamenco Express _ Harry's Place, London. info..

29.04.2012 Flamenco Express _ Harry's Place, London. info..

06.07.2012 Jerwood DanceHouse, Ipswich, Suffolk. Info..

07.07.2012 Jerwood DanceHouse, Ipswich, Suffolk. Info..

Show History 1996 - 2011

Artists

Live:

Artists

Shows
Artists
Photos
Videos
Music
Reviews
Bread and Roses

Titi Flores

A soloist of unique power and grace, Titi Flores has developed a style based on his extraordinary sense of rhythm. A gypsy from Arcos de la Frontera, he began his studies in Jerez de la Frontera in the dance school Cristóbal el Jerezano. His first performances were in Jerez in the Peña de la Bulería and the Peña el Garbanzo.From the age of 15 he shared the stage with artists such as Camarón de la Isla, Paco Toronjo, Aurora Vargas, Chiquetete, Turronero and Chano Lobato.He continued studies in technique and choreography with Antonio Canales, Javier Barón, Javier Latorre and Eva la Yerbabuena and took part in the X Bienal de Danza de Sevilla where he was a semi-finalist.After relocating to Madrid he worked with La Tati, Rafael Amargo, Cristóbal Reyes and Juan Andrés Maya and has recently founded his own dance company Compañía Titi Flores.

Manuel de la Malena

No true music lover can pass by the chance to experience Manuels brand of pure flamenco. His performances reveal flamenco as a truly universal art form, comparable with the highest opera or coolest jazz, and conveys the often tortured, often wonderful history of the gypsy people.From Jerez de La Frontera, in the golden triangle of flamenco, Manuel is the essence of pure flamenco. A descendant of Tio Louis el de la Juliana one of the originators of modern Flamenco cante. And when he sings, that deep, colourful history fills the theatre. A regular prizewinner at festivals in France and Spain he has sung at the Festival de la Union, Cante Grande de Almeria and the National Festival de Cordoba working alongside legends such as Tio Borrico, Antiano Mairena, and Vicente Soto Sordera.

La Joaquina

Founder member, choreographer and director of Flamenco Express. Trained at Laban and later by Merce Cunningham, Jean Pierre Perrault, Eduardo Lopez, Paco Perez, and Carmen Cortés. She has worked with Christina Hoyos, Paco Peña and others in London, Madrid, Tokyo, New York, Montreal, Toronto, Paris and throughout Europe.'Utterly riveting variations of firecracker beats..tumultuous fervour..indelible gracefulness..'The Stage

El Mono

Luis 'El Mono'

A powerful gypsy singer. Cante jondo direct from the Bario Santiago in Jerez de la Fronterra.

Jesus Alvarez

No-one who claims to care about the guitar can miss this chance to hear one of the best guitarists to emerge in the last ten years. A true rising star in the intense guitar scene of Jerez. He has performed and recorded with La Chiqui, El Mono, El Capullo, Diego de Morao, Mijito Hijo and many others. He has recently returned from performances in New Mexico and New York with Manuel and Antonio de la Malena, and from France with flamenco company Viejomundo.

Chris Clavo

A founder member and musical director of Flamenco Express and Club Azul, he began playing the guitar at fourteen years old and later studied with flamenco maestros Manolo Sanlucar, Carlos Heredia, Diego Amaya and Pepe Justicia.He has performed throughout Britain and Europe with Flamenco Express as well as touring with flamenco jazz virtuoso Eduardo Niebla and Iraqi pop sensation Jassim.As a composer/producer he has written and recorded scores for film, TV and theatre including work with Granada TV, Channel 4 Films, The Young Vic and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Gemma de la Cruz

Surrounded by flamenco as a child, she began classes at the age of ten, and went on to study at the Madrid Conservatoire and Studios Amor De Dios alongside Belén Fernandez and Belén Maya.Her Spanish performances include the Teatro Español, Teatro Barcel, Teatro de la Plaza de la Villa, and Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid as well as Japanese and UK tours.

Javier Macias

Charismatic cantaor from San Roque, Cadiz. Includes classic bulerias, tangos, fandango, alegerias and the new flamenco in his repertoire. A regular favourite of the Pena de Flamenca de Londres, for whom he has sung for Emillio Maya, among others, and at Ronnie Scotts Jazz club.

Natalia Garcia-Huidobro

240815_10150283689881209_347441186208_8992382_5943629_o.jpg

Born in 1975 into family of actors in Chile, At 15-year-old she began studying classical and modern dance and flamenco. In 1998 she moved in Spain to perfect here flamenco. She she studied at Amor de Dios with the maestros La China and Alejandro Granados and in Sevilla with Juana Amaya. During his time in Spain she made her solo show "Mi Piezas para un abandono" and collaborated with Miguel Cañas company in the show "El quejío del Silencio". In 2003 she received a scholarship to study at the Amor de Dios in Madrid in particular with Manuel Liñán, Rafaela Carrasco, La Tacha and Manuel Reyes. From then on, she has lived and worked, based in Madrid and has created a professional career. She has worked at the legendary Café de tablaos Chinitas, Las Carbonera and El Corral de la Morería. She has performed with the Compañía de Juan Antonio de los Reyes (Lutraki, Greece), flamenco quartet mura in Japan and "Bailando sobre la lluvia", a performance by Manolo Punto (París).

76957_10150098739356209_347441186208_7126542_4738397_n.jpg

Photos

Live Shots

Photos

LuisBreadRoses.jpg
KingsPlace.jpg
TheCurve.jpg
La Joaquina.JPG
24038_395462506208_347441186208_4883331_4259128_n.jpg
28805_432663261208_347441186208_5286553_6424453_n.jpg
23481_373249156208_347441186208_4803689_1329863_n.jpg
28195_441913056208_347441186208_5485813_1254379_n.jpg
23481_373249111208_347441186208_4803686_6702855_n.jpg
28695_444156031208_347441186208_5549088_1360936_n.jpg
23481_373109391208_347441186208_4803306_2859379_n.jpg
24038_395460871208_347441186208_4883319_7776806_n.jpg
29195_441467526208_347441186208_5475445_843042_n.jpg
23481_373249246208_347441186208_4803694_921214_n.jpg
29955_433383376208_347441186208_5298000_2733391_n.jpg
23481_373249106208_347441186208_4803685_2553672_n.jpg
28645_437977361208_347441186208_5397813_810566_n.jpg
29195_441467486208_347441186208_5475439_7907814_n.jpg
Anna.jpg
Gemma de la Cruz.jpg

Live Shots

LuisBreadRoses.jpg
KingsPlace.jpg
TheCurve.jpg
La Joaquina.JPG
24038_395462506208_347441186208_4883331_4259128_n.jpg
28805_432663261208_347441186208_5286553_6424453_n.jpg
23481_373249156208_347441186208_4803689_1329863_n.jpg
28195_441913056208_347441186208_5485813_1254379_n.jpg
23481_373249111208_347441186208_4803686_6702855_n.jpg
28695_444156031208_347441186208_5549088_1360936_n.jpg
23481_373109391208_347441186208_4803306_2859379_n.jpg
24038_395460871208_347441186208_4883319_7776806_n.jpg
29195_441467526208_347441186208_5475445_843042_n.jpg
23481_373249246208_347441186208_4803694_921214_n.jpg
29955_433383376208_347441186208_5298000_2733391_n.jpg
23481_373249106208_347441186208_4803685_2553672_n.jpg
28645_437977361208_347441186208_5397813_810566_n.jpg
29195_441467486208_347441186208_5475439_7907814_n.jpg
Anna.jpg
Gemma de la Cruz.jpg

Off Stage

Photos

29955_433395286208_347441186208_5298333_1155093_n.jpg
219422_10150232017121209_347441186208_8509896_1858798_o.jpg
30785_434984536208_347441186208_5336625_7990607_n.jpg
28805_432663251208_347441186208_5286552_634001_n.jpg
242758_10150263199676209_347441186208_8796771_4152781_o.jpg
209140_10150232017191209_347441186208_8509897_1627312_o.jpg
210302_10150232017261209_347441186208_8509898_6772505_o.jpg
30785_434984566208_347441186208_5336628_4830574_n.jpg
209758_10150232017066209_347441186208_8509895_3089724_o.jpg
ensay3.jpg
chordscrispschaos.jpg
jesusmateo.jpg
slaptime.jpg
mirror.jpg
fagtime.jpg
mateo.jpg
manuelhijo2.jpg

Off Stage

29955_433395286208_347441186208_5298333_1155093_n.jpg
219422_10150232017121209_347441186208_8509896_1858798_o.jpg
30785_434984536208_347441186208_5336625_7990607_n.jpg
28805_432663251208_347441186208_5286552_634001_n.jpg
242758_10150263199676209_347441186208_8796771_4152781_o.jpg
209140_10150232017191209_347441186208_8509897_1627312_o.jpg
210302_10150232017261209_347441186208_8509898_6772505_o.jpg
30785_434984566208_347441186208_5336628_4830574_n.jpg
209758_10150232017066209_347441186208_8509895_3089724_o.jpg
ensay3.jpg
chordscrispschaos.jpg
jesusmateo.jpg
slaptime.jpg
mirror.jpg
fagtime.jpg
mateo.jpg
manuelhijo2.jpg

Bread and Roses

Photos

148850_10150101605751209_347441186208_7156754_7141890_n.jpg
132060_10150123350261209_347441186208_7487339_5358065_o.jpg
72779_10150101606056209_347441186208_7156759_80201_n.jpg
73110_10150101606241209_347441186208_7156763_4831599_n.jpg
133878_10150123352451209_347441186208_7487368_3841528_o.jpg
204719_10150223552786209_347441186208_8428691_3888770_o.jpg
209437_10150223553706209_347441186208_8428700_4156968_o.jpg
76126_10150101605826209_347441186208_7156755_6006372_n.jpg
76957_10150098739356209_347441186208_7126542_4738397_n.jpg
169432_10150123351181209_347441186208_7487349_2122996_o.jpg
134297_10150123349911209_347441186208_7487333_1659732_o.jpg
133266_10150123350571209_347441186208_7487343_7900662_o.jpg
76971_10150101606376209_347441186208_7156765_6958095_n.jpg
149263_10150101606326209_347441186208_7156764_1888746_n.jpg
200916_10150223553371209_347441186208_8428695_1524951_o.jpg
133242_10150123493681209_347441186208_7490329_3915740_o.jpg
133605_10150123495266209_347441186208_7490346_579679_o.jpg
62012_491670051208_347441186208_6764717_661037_n.jpg
132893_10150123349731209_347441186208_7487330_4166095_o.jpg
200916_10150223553361209_347441186208_8428693_7748206_o.jpg
150049_10150098754481209_347441186208_7126839_3699625_n.jpg

Bread and Roses

148850_10150101605751209_347441186208_7156754_7141890_n.jpg
132060_10150123350261209_347441186208_7487339_5358065_o.jpg
72779_10150101606056209_347441186208_7156759_80201_n.jpg
73110_10150101606241209_347441186208_7156763_4831599_n.jpg
133878_10150123352451209_347441186208_7487368_3841528_o.jpg
204719_10150223552786209_347441186208_8428691_3888770_o.jpg
209437_10150223553706209_347441186208_8428700_4156968_o.jpg
76126_10150101605826209_347441186208_7156755_6006372_n.jpg
76957_10150098739356209_347441186208_7126542_4738397_n.jpg
169432_10150123351181209_347441186208_7487349_2122996_o.jpg
134297_10150123349911209_347441186208_7487333_1659732_o.jpg
133266_10150123350571209_347441186208_7487343_7900662_o.jpg
76971_10150101606376209_347441186208_7156765_6958095_n.jpg
149263_10150101606326209_347441186208_7156764_1888746_n.jpg
200916_10150223553371209_347441186208_8428695_1524951_o.jpg
133242_10150123493681209_347441186208_7490329_3915740_o.jpg
133605_10150123495266209_347441186208_7490346_579679_o.jpg
62012_491670051208_347441186208_6764717_661037_n.jpg
132893_10150123349731209_347441186208_7487330_4166095_o.jpg
200916_10150223553361209_347441186208_8428693_7748206_o.jpg
150049_10150098754481209_347441186208_7126839_3699625_n.jpg

Posters

Photos

14093_383896091208_347441186208_4840864_7178520_n.jpg
14093_383894161208_347441186208_4840862_3964786_n.jpg
14093_383894101208_347441186208_4840857_4118516_n.jpg
14093_383896121208_347441186208_4840867_5727635_n.jpg
14093_383894096208_347441186208_4840856_3694937_n.jpg
worcester.jpg
penny.jpg
button cyan.jpg
crypt2.jpg
FEfriends.jpg
YMCA.jpg
button blue.jpg
14093_383897896208_347441186208_4840868_6498503_n.jpg
worcester.jpg
cage.jpg
azul.jpg
chris.jpg
beaufort.jpg
feet.jpg
bassclef.jpg

Posters

14093_383896091208_347441186208_4840864_7178520_n.jpg
14093_383894161208_347441186208_4840862_3964786_n.jpg
14093_383894101208_347441186208_4840857_4118516_n.jpg
14093_383896121208_347441186208_4840867_5727635_n.jpg
14093_383894096208_347441186208_4840856_3694937_n.jpg
worcester.jpg
penny.jpg
button cyan.jpg
crypt2.jpg
FEfriends.jpg
YMCA.jpg
button blue.jpg
14093_383897896208_347441186208_4840868_6498503_n.jpg
worcester.jpg
cage.jpg
azul.jpg
chris.jpg
beaufort.jpg
feet.jpg
bassclef.jpg

Live:

Shows
Artists
Photos
Videos
Music
Reviews
Bread and Roses

Videos

Live:

Videos

Titi Flores - Solea por Bulerias

Solea Por Buleria

Titi Flores - Solea por Bulerias - Bread and Roses - 30.07.2011

Alegrias2

Alegrias - Rosa de Las Heras - GDA

Alegrias - Rosa de las Heras - Flamenco Express Live _ Greenwich Dance

Martinete

Martinete - Flamenco Express _ Hackney Empire

Martinete - Flamenco Express Live _ The Hackney Empire

Shows
Artists
Photos
Videos
Music
Reviews
Bread and Roses

Music

Live:

Music

Shows
Artists
Photos
Videos
Music
Reviews
Bread and Roses

Alegrias - Corn Exchange
Solea - Hackney Empire
Bulerias - Fin de Fiesta

Reviews

Live:

Reviews

Shows
Artists
Photos
Videos
Music
Reviews
Bread and Roses

Review1 Megan Millar-McKeever - Remotegoat'Passion, drama, and hot summer nights. These are the things that come to mind when one thinks of flamenco dancing. What Flamenco Express added to this list of attributes was grace, strength and humour. If you have never been exposed to flamenco dancing before seeing this company perform is a great place to start, and if you are a connoisseur then you are guaranteed to have an enjoyable evening.This small company, comprised of four dancers and four musicians, created a dynamic performance last Thursday night at the LABAN Theatre. The female dancers began the evening with a vibrant group piece, followed by a series of solo performances. Their steps provided a rhythm for the music created by the sweet sounds of the acoustic guitarists and the rough vocals of the singers. Through the performance the music built in speed and intensity seducing the listener while the dancers captivated with their powerful grace.The impression the performers left on the audience was apparent as members of the audience rose to their feet applauding and children tapped away in the isles in an attempt to mimic what they had just seen. If you love dance, Spain or listening to a wicked acoustic guitar this show is a definite must see. I had a fantastic time and would recommend it to anyone.'Dance Europe'Delighted the audience, who rewarded them with rapturous applause and encores.'Time Out'This feisty flamenco company deliver the finest in flamenco, plus sizzling soloist La Joaquina.'The Stage'..utterly riveting variations of firecracker beatstumultuous fervour ..indelible gracefulness.'Anglo Spanish Journal'An unforgettable evening.'Kings Lynn News'This is a fiery ensemble production where every spark of personality is kept alight and creative diversity is given the space to breathe but remain faithful to flamencos roots.'South Wales Evening Post'What was surprising, however, was the sheer power and energy displayed by the dancers during this vibrant celebration of Spanish culture. Forget the sterile, regimented flamenco so often served up to tourists: this was the real thing, and to say that it packed a punch is an understatement.'Bristol Evening Post'Gemma de La Cruz was mesmerizing, with her Spanish charm and graceful moves, displaying the passions of the human spirit with enthuisiastic vigour.'Harlow Star'Flamenco Express transported the audience to an imaginary Spanish haven during a musical journey laced with passion, grace and immense artistry. The cold, grey and windy weather outside seemed a million miles away.'Portsmouth News'A small company of three dancers and four musicians filled the stage as if they were performing at a much bigger location yet kept intact the intimacy of the venue.With a programme of traditional flamenco performed with unconventional interpretations, they managed to transport the audience not to the tacky Spanish holiday resorts of the 1970s but to the darker heart of the Iberian gipsy soul. The dances were packed full of energy (exhausting the audience as much as the performers) and displayed impeccable precision and timing. Mention must be given to guitarist Jesus Alvarez whose dexterity and musicianship were stunning.'Staffordshire Post'Flamenco refreshes the parts than other dances cannot reach or so it seems from the response of the audience who witnessed Flamenco Express perform in Staffordshire.Post-performance people watching bore witness. Fingers drummed tables, hands tapped out rhythmical patterns on the bar, two couples, infused by the flamenco spirit, practised paso doble variations and a number of middle-aged ladies could not resist giving their stamp of approval as they left the auditorium. It touches a primal instinct in us all the rythym of life, with its complex contra beats an electrical fusion of sound, movement and speed. Flamenco Express put in the plug and switched us on.Three female dancers in simple attire, two guitarists and two singers recreated the intimate surroundings of the Tablao, a club-like setting within the round of the theatre. This proved an intimate experience, observing the performers from an outer globe 360 degrees of firecracker footwork and dispossessed arms and hands as if generated by a force separate to the movement of willowy bodies.We sat transfixed from the opening martinete, with its deliberate footwork and posturing conjuring up the forge environs which fired its origins, to the high-spirited buleria por fiesta learning towards improvisation from each of its dancers.In between, we witnessed a solo alegria, from Gemma de la Cruz and two entrancing solos each indelibly marked with the personalities of performers La Joaquina and Rosa de las Heras.The layers of Flamenco dance, song and guitar were each given their moment in the spotlight. Two amazing guitar solos from Chris Clavo and Jesus Alvarez made string instruments sing with impossible precision. While Ana de los Reyes and Mateo Solea provided a vocal tapestry rich in its scale and dexterity. Flamenco Express has been touring since 1996 and performed more than 250 shows in between educational workshops, classes and specialist choreography for organisations including the Royal Shakespeare Company and Italia Conte School. But each of its performances is different, as they explained. Flamenco is about telling a story, a conversation on stage, but each is infused with the personality of the performer. As guest performers and members of the company change, they bring with them something new and unique. No performance is ever the same.And with this, I have to agree. We witnessed stories unfold and took away a little of the spirit which brought them to life.Picasso, a great proponent of Flamenco, particularly through his later work in ceramics, would have appreciated the symmetry returning a little of lifes energy to a theatre on the edge of the Potteries.'Manoj Gupta - Bedford Art-icle'The first time I saw a Flamenco dance troop was in 1995 in a small crowded bar in Barcelona. There were only four in the company; a singer, a guitarist and male and female dancers. They sang, played and danced for an hour and a half without a break. The atmosphere in the confines of the bar was hot, steamy and intimate. The performance was done with vigour, artistry and passion, faces contorted with expression, communicating all the anguish, pain, joy and other emotions of the story. Performers and audience alike with beads of sweat dripping from the forehead, down the sides of the face and off the ends of noses and chins. Indeed, the singer was almost crying. It was electric.Upon reflection I concluded that Flamenco is far more than just a dance. It is a way of life.My second outing was some years later in the sterile atmosphere of a large concert hall in Munich. The performance inevitably succumbed to the atmosphere of the hall. Technically superb, but sterile.Flamenco Express laid out their credentials immediately with the opening number which involved the entire company. They trooped onto the floor and commenced without introduction. The powerful voice of Ana de los Reyes boomed out across the rows of an expectant Bedford audience. The flowing skirts of the dancers, the staccato strumming of the guitar, the rhythmical clapping and the sharp, high speed tap, tap tapping of the feet brought it all flooding back.With eyes closed the performance evoked all the memories and emotion of that bar in Barcelona. The performers doing well to counter the somewhat flat atmosphere of the Corn Exchange. Even without the heat, the intimacy and the sweat, Flamenco Express were never-the-less, as far as I was concerned, the real deal. Highly recommended.'Flamenco Passion - Doña Esperanza Bravo Caballo'For one night only in March the Hackney Empire was host to Flamenco Express and came alive to a very Spanish Experience. Flamenco Express tour Britain and Europe to perform an art form that is an essential and all-consuming part of their lives.The force that drives them is known as duende the inner spirit released in performers emotional involvement with their art. Real flamenco is a direct result of the gypsy Diaspora. It is a call for optimism and for an appreciation of the sensual pleasures of life, while at the same time recognising the sad struggle that brought them in the end to the Andalucia, home at one time to a flourishing polyglot civilization. Flamenco combined their own roots in India with Spanish and Arabic influences and it survived many forms of repression to become an ultimate expression of freedom. Unlike the sterile tableaux that are presented to gullible tourists, authentic flamenco never fails to inspire an educated audience.Although a diverse group, their biographies indicate they have all studied and performed with some great names in Spain. The end product is as good as any you will see here.Flamenco is a fusion of elements and styles. Foreign audiences tend to think of it as a dance form only, but in Spain the music and the singing, sometimes without music, are just as if not more important. This group excelled in all three. The singer Mateo Solea who made his debut at the age of 14 was particularly good. The program had a balance of the happier expressions of flamenco known as alegrias and the soleares, one of the oldest forms of flamenco especially in the singing, expressing deep sadness and loneliness. The finale of Fiesta por Buleria by the entire company was spontaneous, but its outward liveliness still maintained the deep inner core touching on sadness which is essential to good flamenco.'

Bread and Roses 134297_10150123349911209_347441186208_7487333_1659732_o.jpg

Live:

Bread & Roses

Shows
Artists
Photos
Videos
Music
Reviews
Bread and Roses

133266_10150123350571209_347441186208_7487343_7900662_o.jpg 150093_10150101605636209_347441186208_7156752_3618350_n.jpg

Learn

Resource

About Us

Flamenco ExpressFacebookMyspaceTwitterWordpress