INDOOR SHOW
$30 ADVANCE / $32 DOORS
6PM DOORS / 7:30PM SHOWTIME
ALL AGES
Cool off with a hot evening of traditional flamenco dance, music, and "cante" presented by Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theatre. Susana di Palma directs this performance featuring special guest singer Alfonso Cid, guitarists Juanito Pascual and Ben Abrahamson, and the Zorongo dancers.
Susana di Palma (Artistic Director), having studied Spanish dance and flamenco since childhood, Susana continued her apprenticeship with maestros such as Ciro, Manolo Marin, Manolete, Carmen Mora, and Merche Esmeralda. She performed throughout Spain in tablaos and with companies such as La Singla. In 1982 she founded Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theater in Minneapolis. Its mission has been to create innovative theater works that expand on traditional flamenco to reflect on controversial contemporary issues.
Her most recent work, “Decameron 20:20,” was inspired by Giovanni Boccaccio’s classic, “The Decameron” (1349). In this modern version, nine international flamenco artists follow in Boccaccio’s footsteps and create ten daily works of art expressing their array of emotions while in isolation during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
A devoted teacher, di Palma taught in the University of Minnesota, Department of Dance for over 25 years. She currently teaches in The Cowles Center’s Distance Learning Program and directs classes at the Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theater School. As an individual artist, she has received grants and fellowships from the Minnesota State Arts Board, National Endowment for the Arts, The McKnight Foundation, Jerome Foundation, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, and The Bush Foundation. In 2017 she was awarded a McKnight Fellowship for Choreography and a Minnesota Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant. Read Susana’s entire bio at: https://zorongo.org/about/#susana_di_palma
Alfonso Cid (Flamenco Singer / Flute Player) was born and raised in Sevilla, the heartland of flamenco music. His mother, an amateur singer from Triana, a flamenco enclave in Seville, and his grandfather, an aficionado of flamenco, were his earliest influences. He also had the opportunity of attending the activities of one of the most significant flamenco clubs in Andalusia, the Peña Flamenca Torres-Macarena in Seville. He was awarded two scholarships to attend the intensive summer course at the Cristina Heeren Foundation for Flamenco Art in July 2007 and 2008. He had the honor of recording backing vocals in the song titled “Mi Santa” by popular Latin artist Romeo Santos featuring the great flamenco guitarist Tomatito. Alfonso has toured extensively throughout the USA, Latin America, Israel, and Europe, and toured Spain, France, and Italy in 2017 and 2018 with the jazz/flamenco band New Bojaira by pianist Jesús Hernández from Granada. This band has just released a new album titled “Zorongo Blu.” He released his first CD titled “Flamenco de vuelta e ida” in 2006 with the flamenco fusion project “Gazpacho Andalú”. He has also released an album with his own Spanish indie rock band “Dientes de Caramelo” titled “Pulpo” (Octopus) in March of 2012, as well as three singles throughout the summer of 2015.
Read Alfonso’s entire bio at https://alfonsocid.com/bio.
Jonathan “Juanito” Pascual (Guest Guitarist) is an internationally recognized guitarist and “flamenco phenom” (The Boston Globe). His sound is a truly organic blend of masterful traditional and contemporary flamenco with influences ranging from Jimi Hendrix and the Grateful Dead to Miles Davis and J.S. Bach. Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1973, Juanito Pascual is recognized in both Spain and the United States as a unique and creative flamenco and jazz performer. Juanito has performed in many of the internationally best-known fine arts centers, clubs, and festivals, including Lincoln Center, the 92nd St. Y, Blue Note Jazz Club, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center at Notre Dame University, Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center, Panama Jazz Festival, and Madrid’s Casa Patas.
A talented educator, Juanito regularly hosts workshops in various cities in the United States, the Middle East, Europe, and Central America. Juanito created and directed the annual summer Flamenco Institute at the New England Conservatory in Boston from 2005-2009.
Juanito holds a Bachelor of Music in Contemporary Improvisation from New England Conservatory and won second prize in 1996. Read Juanito’s entire bio at https://juanitopascual.com/biography
Ben Abrahamson (Guitarist) is a fresh, dynamic voice on the acoustic guitar. His compositions evoke the dexterity of flamenco and the harmonic storytelling of jazz. His passion for flamenco guitar drove him to Taller de Músics School of Music in Barcelona, where he studied under Juan Ramón Caro. He has composed works for the Minneapolis Guitar Quartet, Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theatre, Mac Jazz big band, and Muhlenberg College Theatre and Dance Dept. Ben has shared the stage with mentors like Michael and Tony Hauser, Susana di Palma, La Conja, Chuscales, Billy Steele, Tonia Hughes, Pedro Cortes Jr., Joan Griffith, and Gary Lee Joyner. In 2019, he recorded his latest record, “Neolithic.”
Amanda Dlouhy (Dancer), Seeking dance deeply rooted in music and emotion, Amanda began studying flamenco with Susana di Palma in 2013. She was thrilled to travel to Spain to study in 2015, 2016, and 2019. Her instincts come from a layered dance history starting at age four. She danced with Ragamala Dance from 2005 – 2013, touring nationally and internationally, and received a McKnight Fellowship for Dancers in 2011.
Grace Holthaus (Dancer) At age five, Grace started with ballet, tap, and jazz. Then, in college at the University of Minnesota Morris, fell in love with learning cultural dances–Indian, belly dance, and Renaissance court dancing. Since moving to Minneapolis after college, she tried flamenco and found a home! Grace performances with Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theatre and studied in the Majas program since 2014. She also had the privilege of performing with Deborah Elias Danza Española in “Las Flamencas” (2013) and Mill City’s Opera “Carmen” (2018). She is also a participant in Flamenco Vivo’s Artist Development Series.
Laura Horn (Dancer) is a Minnesota native and began dancing at a very young age. However, her love of movement led her to pursue a BA in Dance from the University of Minnesota. She trained extensively with Susana di Palma and has performed in several Zorongo Flamenco productions. Laura also performs around town with guitarists Michael Hauser, Tony Hauser, and Scott Mateo Davies. When not dancing, you’ll probably find Laura practicing.
Molly Kay Stoltz (Dancer) is a dancer, choreographer, teacher, and musician known for her ability to span genres, from American vernacular to tap dance to flamenco. She is passionate about percussive dance and the intersections of movement and music. She is currently a company member with Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theater, the Flying Foot Forum, and Kaleena Miller Dance. Molly produced and choreographed ¨Visual Grooves¨ (2016) and has presented work at various showcases in the Twin Cities.
Molly is currently the tap adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota and a tap instructor at Dance Express in Mankato. She recently had the honor to be part of the Artist Development Series through Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana (2020-21), be a Hinge Artist In Residence through Springboard for the Arts (2020), and study with master flamenco instructors at the Festival de Jerez, Spain (2020). She resides in St. Peter, Minnesota, with her husband Chase and is a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist.