On Friday, September 23rd and Saturday, September 24^th the festival will host concerts dedicated to flamenco’s most popular element – “Baile.”  Flamenco owes much of its popularity and prominence on the world stage to the spectacle of baile flamenco. Known for their physical and musical strength, and their ferocity intertwined with elegance, bailaores in flamenco are simultaneously musicians and movement craftsmen.  Men and women alike grace flamenco stages with “in-your-face” attitude and mesmerizing skill.  Unknown to many audiences, flamenco baile in its purest form is improvised and therein holds the capacity for spontaneous and fleeting movements that excite the beholder.  This year’s festival brings some of the most accomplished and crowd-pleasing flamenco dancers in the country including: Briseyda Zarate of Los Angeles, Califormina; Elena Osuna of Albuquerque, New Mexico; and partners Fabian and Katrina Sisneros of Abo, New Mexico.  Also gracing the stage are local artists (appreciated throughout the country in their own right) including Angelina Ramirez, Carlos Montufar, and Tucson’s own Jason and Mele Martinez of Flamenco del Pueblo Viejo.  The celebration of flamenco baile will open on Friday night with the 1^st Concurso de Sevillanas – a contest open to all ages and levels of dancers who will compete for prizes by performing the Sevillanas, a traditional and regional dance of Andalucia that is usually danced in pairs or groups and most often at Spanish festivals and fiestas.  Saturday will continue the festivities with a flamenco fashion show displaying one of the most visually captivating parts of flamenco baile – the beautiful and elaborately adorned flamenco dress.

Where: Casa Vicente, 375 S. Stone Ave.  Tucson, AZ 85701, 520-884-5253

When: “Cante” - Thursday, September 22^nd, “Baile” – Friday and Saturday, September 23^rd and 24^th, “Toque” - Sunday, September 25^th

Time:  Performances and Events – doors open 8:00 pm nightly.  Friday and Saturday performances go until midnight.