| COMPANY HISTORY | |||
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 Photo by Cylla Von Tiedemann |
Carmen Romero had been directing her own professional dance group since 1986 under the name Candela Flamenca. The group performed in community festivals and private functions. In 1992, Miguel de la Bastide joined forces with Carmen Romero as Music director. Together they created a dance and music ensemble at which time the company became established as Carmen Romero & The Candela Flamenca Dance & Music Ensemble. New sights were projected for the company steering towards presenting their work in theatre venues and to develop a touring company. | |
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Three years later after receiving project grants from The Toronto Arts Council and the Laidlaw Foundation, "El Embrujo" (The Bewitched) was to be the company's first major theatre production. El Embrujo played in October 1995 at the Hart House Theatre for two nights that quickly turned into three, as the show sold out two days before opening. El Embrujo played to over 1800 people in three days. Since El Embrujo a great deal had changed. Miguel de la Bastide received the prestigious Chalmers Award and Carmen Romero was awarded a Canada Council grant. Both awards went towards extensive studies of flamenco dance and guitar in Madrid, Spain at the Amor de Dios Studio. |
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| Upon their return to Canada in 1996 Carmen and Miguel began to change the company structure to include a six piece band and five resident dancers. The changes reflected yet a new image and identity by which they have become known for in the past two years. Their most recent work that represents their new claim to fame is "Flamenco de Ayer y Hoy" (Flamenco of Yesterday & Today). Presented as a world premier at the Dance Works Main Stage Series at the du Maurier Theatre Centre. Another sold out performance that encompassed original works depicting the history of flamenco dance and music from the 18th Century to their conception of the 21st Century. |
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| At present day the company has toured in Canada, United States, Europe, Asia and has in its repertoire four different performance formats. | |||
