Performance
About
We are an Adelaide-based flamenco performance group dedicated to presenting high quality authentic flamenco, featuring guitarist Aloysius Leeson, dancer Kristy Manuel and guests. From the intimacy of solo guitar to the excitement of a full ensemble including singer, dancers and percussion.
If you wish to hire a group to perform at your event please contact Aloysius or Kristy.
Artists
Kristy Manuel
Kristy's lifelong passion for dance first led her to Flamenco in 2001. Since then she has established herself as an outstanding Flamenco performer, being described as a 'wonderful, expressive dancer' by Radio Adelaide's Jane Costessi and 'powerfully elegant' by AusDance SA Director Phil Callaghan.
Her dedication led to her studying at the prestigious 'Amor de Dios' academy in Madrid. Here she spent 14 months studying with maestras 'La Truco' and Imnaculada Ortega in 2003 and 2004. Upon returning to Australia, it wasn't long before Kristy felt the lure of Spain again, returning in 2006, 2009 and 2011 each time to Seville. In Seville she has studied with some of the most accomplished dancers in Spain, including Pastora Galvan, Carmen Cortes, Manuel Betanzos, Isabel Bayon, Angel Atienza, Alicia Marquez, Ramon Martinez, Adela Campallo and Ursula Lopez.
She has developed a unique style that inspires many of Adelaide's flamenco students. Her ability to put people at ease and demystify some of the complexities of flamenco in her classes is refreshing. One of the most important teachings Kristy offers her students is to express themselves especially through the positioning and movements of the upper body. Footwork is also a focus in her classes but this is complimented by graceful and beautiful movements to allow students to express themselves through the use of the entire body.
Kristy is a qualified and experienced Yoga Teacher Dip (IYTA) and fitness leader (TAFE) and has lead group fitness classes for over 17 years. Her enthusiasm for seeing others reach their own goals is evident and her unique blend of dance training and knowledge of the body has lead her to being able to offer classes that will not only improve coordination and posture but increase fitness and core strength. She has identified that core strength and flexibility are essential for a long and healthy dancing career and improve the quality and enjoyment of everyday living.
For this reason at Casa de Flamenco Kristy also offers yoga classes, these classes are optional but encouraged and are available to anyone who wants to increase their core strength and flexibility.
Kristy is available to teach private lessons and workshops and perform at events.
Kristy has recently showed her unique blend of physical and emotive styles at several performances detailed below.
Performance Highlights
2016 Port Noarlunga Arts Centre "Flamenco del Sur"
2014 Adelaide International Guitar Festival "Aloysius Leeson Quartet"
2011 South Australian Opera production of "Carmen"
2010 Chispa Flameca's Tablao Flamenco
2009 Casa de Flamenco Winter Fiesta
2008
Sell out performances in Chispa
Flamenca's debut performance at the Adelaide Fringe Festival
2007
Peña Flamenca at
The Chapel Theatre
2007
The Adelaide International Guitar Festival
2006 WOMADelaide, Studio Flamenco
including Flamenco!
2005
Studio Flamenco's Tablao Flamenco
II
2004 The festival of
El Horno in Madrid
Aloysius Leeson
Aloysius has been playing guitar since he was a child. After studying classical guitar at the Elder Conservatorium, he took up flamenco. This led him to spend time in Spain following the traditional apprenticeship of accompanying singers and dancers, studying with maestros and playing at Juergas (parties). Eventually he was able to work at the dance studios of Javier Cruz and Maria Angeles in Seville.
Since coming back to Australia he has continued to work as a soloist and with a variety of dancers and singers. He recently released his third album, “Florilegium”.
"It is more than evident that Leeson is a virtuoso guitarist, with a style
that easily moves from sensitive to frenetic"- Michael Hunter, dB magazine.
"Professional and intense" - Scott McLennan, Rip it up magazine.
"A superbly authentic sound" - Celia Brissenden, The Advertiser.
Performance Highlights
2016 Port Noarlunga Arts Centre "Flamenco del Sur"2014 Adelaide Internation Guitar Festival "Aloysius Leeson Quartet"
2008 Chispa Flamenca December Fiesta, at Casa de Flamenco.
2008 Chispa Flamenca perform at the Adelaide Fringe.
2007 Adelaide International guitar festival, Wah-bar series.
2006 WOMADelaide, with Studio Flamenco.
2006 The Singapore Feria de Abril, at Chimes plaza, Singapore with dancer Antonio Vargas and singer Antonio Soria.
2005 Premier of Caminos, a work by Adelaide composer Angus Barnacle, at Nexus Cabaret, with contemporary dancers.
2005 Launch of his second CD Chispa Flamenca at the Governor Hindmarsh Hotel.
Collaborating Artists
Ana Otero
Ana began Flamenco at the tender age of 5 with her first official lesson taken at the age of 7 in Sevilla, Spain. She is of Spanish origin and has been an exponent of Flamenco for the past 20 years. She is widely recognized as one of the best Flamenco dancers and choreographers in Australia.
During her teens she was a part of the original Illawarra Spanish Artistic Society and was a resident dancer with the Antonio Vargas Flamenco Dance Theatre from the ages of 14 - 19. She was offered a grant from the Australia Council to continue her full-time studies in Spain and whilst there undertook classes conducted by Carmen Cortes, Paco Romero, El Güito, Manolete, La Tati, Timo Lozano, Maria Magdalena and Ciro.
Upon her return to Australia, she became the principal dancer for Diana Reyes Flamenco for 8 years - working with the likes of Luis de Luis (ex Paco Peña), Joaquin Ruíz, Andres Peña, Mariano Cruchetta and Antonio Vargas. Because of her extensive knowledge and very distinctive style, Ana began a tour of most states in Australia to update Flamenco skills through workshops and advanced master classes in Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney. She has taught for and continues to teach for some the most recognized schools of flamenco in Australia - amongst them: Diana Reyes Flamenco, The Spanish School of Dance (Sydney) and the Spanish Dance Institute in Perth, to which she contributed the Flamenco repertoire of their syllabus.
One of the most influential components in Ana's teaching is the need to express a true sense of what Flamenco is and to dismiss the myth that only Spaniards have salero (spunk). She is a co-producer with Daniela Carelli of Flamenco Women Productions with the hope of giving opportunity to the many talented Flamenco artists in Australia and to keep the traditional elements of Flamenco alive through dance and theatrical productions.
El Titi
Salvador Ramon Flores Loreto Montoya Heredia Cortes Arroyo de Los Reyes known as 'el Titi de Algeciras' was born in Algeciras, Spain in 1942 into a gitano (gypsy) family whose tradition is flamenco.
Salvador, at a very early age, experienced the art of bullfighting under the name "el Gitanillo de Algeciras", but gave away this career after being badly gored by a bull.
Singing at a very early age under the name of "Montoyita" and later with his cousins in a group called "Los Montoyas", the young singer learned his art at the side of famous singers such as Antonio Mairena, who would come to fiestas in his family home. Related to the famous gypsy families of Los Montoyas, (nephew of Roque Montoya "Jarrito"), Los Chiquitetes, the Utrera Sisters, the late Cameron de la Isla and growing up with Paco de Lucia as a neighbour, the young Montoyita was offered work in the tablaos such as La Corral del la Morreria in Madrid working with such artists as dancer la Tati, Antonio el Pelau, and guitarist el Habichuela and winning awards for his singing.
He arrived in Australia in 1966 with the flamenco dance company el Sali and after being offered a contract in Perth stayed working with the gypsy dancer La Tani. Since then he has been the only authentic flamenco gypsy singer in Australia and in high demand by Australian flamenco artists of the calibre of Antonio Vargas, Diana Reyes and Gabriel Heredia in Sydney and Melbourne.
With performances too numerous to list over his many years of performing, one of his highlights was to feature in the spectacular Carmen Opera put on by the Victorian State Opera in 1992 in Sydney and Melbourne. This led him to have a 12 month contract with the Melbourne Hyatt Hotel in their Tapas Bar. Other highlights include supporting act with Julio Iglesias and the Gypsy Kings.
Adrian van Nunen
Adrian is an accomplished percussionist, specialising in cajón, tinaja and derbouka.
He has featured in performances including the Adelaide Fringe 2004, Bellingen Flamenco Festival 2003 and Velada Flamencos Sincopa in 2005.
In 2004, he studied flamenco in Sevilla, accompanying the classes of flamenco icon El Torombo. He is principal percussionist on Aloysius Leesons CD, Chispa Flamenca, released in 2005.
Julian Ferraretto
Australian born jazz violinist Julian Ferraretto moved to London in 2002 and has since become known for his virtuosic and melodically charged improvisational style. He has performed with many of the UK’s most important contemporary jazz and world music bands including the Neil Cowley Trio, Natacha Atlas’s Mazeeka Ensemble, Eska Mtungwazi, Robert Mitchell’s Panacea and Wigmore Hall Learning’s Ignite Ensemble. As a bandleader, side-man and strings M.D., Julian has played at all the major Jazz Festivals around Europe including the North Sea Jazz Festival, Montreux and The London Jazz Festival.
Now based in Australia, Julian continues to collaborate internationally through string arranging and recording, alongside touring and education projects.2012 saw Julian on tour with the new Neil Cowley and strings project “The Face of Mount Molehill” as co-arranger and string leader. He founded and directs the 30 piece “Goldsmith Big String” orchestra (GBS) in collaboration with Goldsmiths University of London. GBS premiered at the 2012 London Jazz Festival playing with the Neil Cowley Trio to a packed Barbican Centre with the performance later broadcast on BBC Radio.
Laura Uhe
Trained in classical ballet (RAD) from the age of 4, at 14 Laura became a member of the Perth City Ballet Youth Company, touring Scotland and the U.K as part of the Aberdeen International Youth Festival of Performing Arts.
Laura began studying Flamenco and Spanish Classical dance in 1985, initially in Perth with Deanna Blacher, then in Canberra with Gunta Hamra and later with Charito Saldana, Ana Romero and Mario Orbitani in Melbourne. She then moved to Sydney to study under Antonio Vargas (Strictly Ballroom). Laura joined The Antonio Vargas Flamenco Dance Theatre Company and performed in many productions including Garcia Lorca’s ‘Chronicles of a Death Foretold’ and Harvey Goldstein/Vic Opera’s international production of Carmen in Sydney and Melbourne. She then went on to study intensively in Spain with Master Teachers including Carmela Creco, La Tati, Ciro, Sara Baras, Rafaela Carrasco, and classical Spanish under Paco Romero in Madrid.
Laura has performed extensively in theatre productions, festivals and corporate events throughout her career. Highlights include the Melbourne Festival of the Arts, Latin Summer at the Arts Centre, Brunswick Music Festival, Port Fairy Festival, La Casa De Bernanda Alba at the Malthouse Theatre, and Suena Flamenca – a collaboration with flamenco artists from Sydney Melbourne and Spain.
She played the role of gypsy Flamenco Dancer in Carmen with Opera Australia in 2009, 2010 and was Dance Captain in this production in 2014.
Laura has toured throughout Australia performing and teaching workshops and master classes. She has been a guest teacher at VCASS, VCA, the Australian Institute of Classical Dance Summer School, Dance World 301, Casa Del Flamenco (Adelaide) The Flamenco Centre (Canberra) The Dance Factory (Perth), Estudio Nuevo (Perth) and the Cecchetti Ballet Associations’ Summer School.