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Brisas de España was founded by award
winning Artistic Director-Dancer-Choreographer-Master Teacher,
Carolina Lugo. She is widely regarded as one of the most gifted
Flamenco-Spanish dance artists of her generation. Carolina is a
master of the castanets and Spanish dance. Her
music video of her castanet interpretation of "Leyenda", is
shown on the nationally broadcast show, Classical Arts Showcase.
Carolina has dedicated herself over the last ten years to preserving
the lineage of artistry of La Argentina, Antonio Triana, Luisa
Antonio Triana, Lola Montes, Merche Esmeralda, Ciro and Azurin, by
teaching the art form of both genres-Flamenco-Spanish
dance, to a new generation of artists and dancers.
Carolina made her professional debut at the age of 14. She has
danced and toured the United States and internationally with leading
companies, Lola Montes Spanish Dance Company, Luisa Triana Flamenco
Dance Company, Jose Greco, Rosa Montoya Bailes Flamencos and has
shared the stage with international Flamenco artists from Spain,
such as Genaro Gomez, Cruz Luna, Teodoro Morca and Benito Palacios,
performing in major concert halls throughout the United States and
internationally as well as with leading symphonies throughout the
country. Carolina danced as a guest artist with the Los Angeles
Philharmonic for multiple seasons at the Hollywood Bowl and was a
featured soloist with the Los Angeles Opera in their productions of
"Carmen" and "La Traviata" at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Most
recently, Ms. Lugo has danced and collaborated on choreographic
works with international Flamenco artists from Spain, Manuel
Betanzos, Concha Vargas, Antonio Vargas {featured artist in the
films "Strictly Ballroom" and "Mission Impossible II"} and Pepa
Montes.
Carolina created a base of operation
in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1995, when she founded her Dance
Company and School. She is a Master Teacher and has
been training and developing dancers for her company since that
time. She has guest taught workshops and master classes
nationally and internationally for Ballet Schools, Flamenco Dance
Academies such as Rosa Montoya Bailes Flamencos Dance Academy and
Folklorico Dance Groups throughout the West Coast. In 2004,
2005, she was guest teacher for the Diablo Ballet Summer Intensive
Program and the Walnut Creek Civic Arts Center, Northern
California's largest Community Arts Program..."She approaches her teaching with dedication and
purpose, which results in an outstanding
product."...Lauren Jonas, Artistic Director, Diablo
Ballet
Carolina has been commissioned by numerous Musical Conductors
with various symphonies over the last eight years to choreograph and
perform a variety of excerpts and complete Flamenco Ballets of
leading Spanish and French composers such as “Carmen" by Bizet with
the California Symphony and Conductor Barry Jekowsky in 1998 and
the theme song from the musical score of “Zoro” along with
a selection of Spanish dance pieces with Maestro Jekowsky in 1999.
Carolina and her Company were presented in concert at that time, at
the Concord Pavilion before an audience of ten thousand. In
2000, Ms. Lugo again collaborated with Maestro Jekowsky when he
commissioned her to choreograph and perform the complete
Flamenco Ballet of her critically acclaimed piece of the “Three
Cornered Hat” by Manuel de Falla. Ms. Lugo and Company toured
Nevada with the Reno Philharmonic to sell-out audiences. She gave an
encore performance of this piece with conductor, Joyce
Johnson-Hamilton and the Diablo Symphony in 2001. She collaborated
with conductor Mitchell Sardou-Klein and toured Northern California
with the Peninsula Symphony in 2003. The appearance of Brisas de
Espana with the symphony was instrumental in drawing large audiences
exceeding 1700 per concert. Carolina and Company
have given encore performances of her critically acclaimed Flamenco
Ballets of the "Three Cornered Hat", " La Vida Breve", "Bolero",
"Carmen", "Leyenda" and "La Boda de Luis Alonso" to sell-out
audiences with Maestro, Allan Pollack with the Mendocino World Music
Festival and numerous other symphonies throughout the West Coast.
Maestro Pollack requested an encore performance
of Ms. Lugo's acclaimed piece the "Three Cornered Hat" with the
Sacramento Camellia Symphony in 2005, for which she once again
received critical acclaim for her choreographic creation of an “intense operetta full of steamy and fiery emotion…and
flirtatious interplay”…The choreography incorporated classic
Flamenco steps as well as more balletic elegance.” Carolina
was invited as a guest artist by the Golden Gate Opera in 2005 and
collaborated with them to present her dance company in her acclaimed
choreography of “Carmen” conducted by Geoffrey Gallegos and stage
directed by Ms.Edna Garabedian, Managing Director of California Opera
Association. Ms. Lugo was commissioned by the opera to choreograph
and stage for the principals and cast, excerpts from the complete
opera for this production. Carolina has
been invited to tour China with the Hangzhou Opera Company in
October 2006 as a guest artist, to dance and choreograph for their
principals and cast, in their production of "Carmen" by Bizet.
Carolina has received multiple
Creative Works Awards since 1999 from the Diablo Regional Arts
Association (DRAA). Her works include her creative fusion of
Flamenco dance, song and music with Brazilian Samba. The Contra
Costa Times said “Brisas sizzles with hot moves and
music”, her fusion of Flamenco and
Argentine Tango dance, song and music, creation of
“Waves of Rhythm” set to the music of Ravels “Bolero” using the
intense energy of Flamenco, the story telling of Spanish dance, the
haunting harmonious notes of "Boléro” and the pulsating beats of
Flamenco and Spanish music, 2002 for the creation of “Leyenda” which explored
Spanish composer Isaac Albeniz composition by fusing the pulsating
rhythms of Flamenco, the haunting undertones of Middle Eastern music
and the lyrical romantic notes of 18th Century Spain, through
song and dance and in 2003 for the creation of “Ritmos del
Corazón” {Rhythms of the Heart}. She has been awarded with
Creative Works Grants from the Zellerbach Family Foundation since
2001.
Carolina began her dance-teaching career
in Southern California in her early twenties. While a company
member of Rosa Montoya's Bailes Flamencos, Ms. Lugo taught all
level classes for Rosa Montoya's Flamenco-Spanish Dance Academy during
the summer while Ms. Montoya was away in Spain. Ms. Lugo eventually
founded her own school in 1995 where she teaches weekly
classes at her Dance Academy at Dance
Connection Performing Arts Center in Concord, Diablo Light Opera
Studios in Pleasant Hill and Kids-N-Dance Studio in Oakland. She
has taught master classes in Spanish and Flamenco dance for Diablo
Ballet, Walnut Creek Civic Arts and Education Center, San Francisco
Dance Center, The Flamenco Society of San Jose, and the Sacramento
Cultural Arts Center. Carolina teaches workshops
and master classes for Ballet and Dance Schools throughout the West
Coast.
Ms. Lugo is the recipient of the prestigious 2006
Arts Recognition Award of the Arts and Culture Commission (AC5) of
Contra Costa County. The award is in recognition of her outstanding
involvment in the arts and the significant impact that she has had
on the cultural life of the county and in the community. The Award
Gala Ceremony, including entertainment and reception, will be held
in the historic El Campanil Theatre in Antioch at 2:30 p.m. Sunday,
October 22.
Carolina Lugo’s mission is to preserve
the rich Spanish arts and culture that is a part of California
History, to continue the cultural traditons of the first
Spanish Dance Company that arrived in California more than 165 years
ago. To retain the lineage of artistry of Flamenco-Spanish
dance by presenting cutting edge performances, using both Americain
born artists and artists from Spain, teaching the art form of
both genres to a new generation of artists and dancers and to
expose and educate the immediate and surrounding communities about
Flamenco-Spanish dance, song and music to a a new generation of
audiences. Ms. Lugo is looking forward to sharing her passion and
love of Flamenco-Spanish dance, song and music with you in the
coming years.
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