2017 McKnight Dancer Fellow Sachiko “La Chayí” Presents:
Flamenco Sin Frontera 
Minneapolis-based 2017 McKnight Dancer Fellow Sachiko “La Chayí” explores the art of Flamenco in a traditional Tablao style Flamenco dance and music performance. She will be joined by three virtuoso international artists that carry the musical and cultural roots, guitarist Angel Ruiz, singer José Cortés, and palmero Luis de La Tota.
Performance: Saturday October 7, 2017 at 7:00 pm (doors open at 6:30 pm for general seating)
Venue: Northfield Arts Guild Theater, 411 3rd St W, Northfield, MN
Tickets:
Adult: $20.00 in advance / $23.00 at the door
Senior (65 & up) & Students (full-time with ID): $17.00 in advance / $20.00 at the door
Children (12 & under): $12.00 in advance / $15.00 at the door
Post show:
A Q&A post show discussion will follow the performance. Please stay after and join us.
Tickets are not sold through the Northfield Arts Guild.
Artists:
Sachiko “La Chayí” (Flamenco dancer. Minneapolis, MN)
Angel Ruiz(Flamenco guitarist. Cordoba, Spain)
José Cortés (Flamenco singer. Marseille, France)
Luis de La Tota (palmero / hand-percussionist. Jerez de la Frontera, Spain)
Artist Bios:
Sachiko “La Chayí” (Flamenco dancer, Minneapolis, MN)
A native of Osaka, Japan, Sachiko “La Chayí” Nishiuchi is a Twin Cities-based Flamenco dancer, teacher, choreographer and organizer. Besides her work as an independent artist, her current projects include directing Twin Cities Flamenco Collective. She has received recognitions and grants from Minnesota State Arts Board, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, the Jerome Foundation, the Minnesota SAGE Awards for Dance, and New York State Flamenco Certamen. Sachiko is the recipient of a 2017 McKnight Dancer Fellowship, administered by the Cowles Center and funded by the McKnight Foundation. Her dance and choreography have been commissioned and/or presented by The Walker Art Center, Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theatre, Intermedia Arts, Minneapolis Guitar Quartet, The Southern Theater, and Hamline University. She was a resident artist of Zorongo Flamenco from 2003 to 2009. She lived and studied the art of Flamenco in Seville, Spain from 2010 to 2015 which became the foundation of her current dance and work. Besides her daily life surrounded by the culture of Flamenco in Seville, she owes her artistic foundation to the following incomparable artists and teachers (in alphabetical order); Juan del Gastor, Farruquito, Javier Heredia, Juan del Gastor, Luis Peña, Miguel Funi, Pilar Montoya Manzano “La Faraona”, and Susana Di Palma.
Angel Ruiz(Flamenco guitarist. Cordoba, Spain)
At the early age of 12 years old, guitarist Angel Ruiz González began his journey learning guitar into the world of Flamenco, under the study of Phillipe Donnier and Rafael Rodriguez “Merengue de Córdoba”. At the age of 18 years old, he starts his professional career in the Tablao “El Cardenal” and Tablao “La Buleria” (Cordoba, Spain) and performing in a few Flamenco festivals. He won the first price in a guitarist competition called “Jóvenes Flamencos” de Córdoba. After he moved to Seville, he joined the Compañía Andaluza de Danza under the direction of Antonio Gades and José Antonio Ruiz, performing in many national and international productions. He participated in “Encuentros/“Bodas de Sangre”, under the musical direction of Juan
Requena and José Antonio Ruiz, in Teatro La Maestranza in Seville. The artist has also worked in 2004 Flamenco festival held in the USA. The production was titled “Golpes da la vida” with dancer Rafael Campallo and José Antonio Ruiz, in theaters such as City Center in New York. Collaborated as the guitarist with Ballet Flamenco de Cristina Hoyos for the production “A tiempo” directed by José Luís Rodríguez. Also played as the principal guitar in “Hijas del Alba” for Ballet de Murcia, directed by the renowned choreographer Javier Latorre, award winner of Nacional de Danza. The artist has worked with famous and respected dancers including Daniel Navarro, Pedro Cordoba, Sonia Olla, Pol Vaquero, Alvaro Panos, Alejandro Granados and Isabel Bayon, among others.
José Cortés (Flamenco singer. Marseille, France)
José Cortés Fernández was born in the south of France in 1974 from an important gypsy family from Almería. At the age of ten, Jose began his career in Jerez de la Frontera where he won the “premio del joven aficionado del cante flamenco,” accompanied on guitar by Terremoto hijo.
He was immersed in the world of flamenco with the greatest artists, such as Terremoto, Pansequito, Camarón de la Isla, Moraito Chico and Tomatito. Since then, he has shared the stage with the best artists, including Belen Lopez, Alfonso Losa, Sergio Arranda, Juan Ogalla, María del Mar Moreno, Antonio de la Malena, Manuel de la Malena, Mara Martinez, Andrés Peña, Pilar Ortega, Juan Carnona, David Paniagua, Juaniare, Niñp de Los Reyes and Carmen Ledesma. He has sung for the workshops of Israel Galván, Angelita Gómez and Javier Latorre.
In 2010, he moved to the United States and now works with many amazing artists such as Jason McGuire, Yaelisa “Camino Flamencos”, Carola Zertuche “Teatro Flamenco”, Melissa Cruz, and Cristina Hall. Recently, Jose was invited to be Antonio Carmona (Ketama)’s backup singer at the Nokia Theater for the Eva Longoria’s Foundation. In 2014, Jose had the honor to sing for the San Francisco Opera in “Giselle”. Since 2014, Jose has worked with the Aspen Ballet Juan Siddi Company with whom he toured in Hawaii and New Mexico, and had the honor to perform at the Joyce Theater in New York City last Spring.
An incredible and traditional artist, José Cortés Fernández surprises us now by taking a step forward in his conception of flamenco by making pure flamenco live alongside other genres.
Luis de La Tota (Palmero / hand-percussionist. Jerez de la Frontera, Spain)
Born into one of the oldest Gypsy neighborhoods of Jerez de La Frontera, El Barrio de Santiago, on Flamenco’s most famous street, La Calle Nueva, Jose Luis Bermudez Peña aka Luis de La Tota, takes his artistic name from his grandmother ‘La Tota’, who has been an inspiration to him since his infancy. Luis carries with him a distinct humor, grace, and rhythmic charisma that started his career as a percussionist and festero at the tender age of 8. Where others spend decades studying and crafting their artistry, Luis simply IS purity in the form of Flamenco. His proof is in his presence on stage and in person where he creates at the moment, in every moment, music that will have you laughing to tears or eyes tearing up until you smile once you have discovered that you could lose yourself inside the world of Luis de La Tota.
As a percussionist and palmero, Luis currently tours with flamenco’s top artists such as Maria Del Mar Moreno, Antonio Del Pipa, Fernando de La Morena, El Capullo, and Diego Carrasco. He is the only holder of a license to teach flamenco rhythms given by the Flamenco Foundation of Spain in 1990. He is also the ‘official’ percussionist for Viernes Flamencos (Flamenco Fridays) in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. As a Flamenco lyricist, his verses (letras) have been sought after recorded by respected Spanish singers such as Antonio de la Malena (Album: Yo soy Asi, Asi Soy Yo, 1997). His work as a percussionist can be heard on CD’s such as Duende y Compas and Gitanos de Jerez to name a few. He currently lives in Boise Idaho where he is building a school, Escuela de Ritmo that is dedicated to the art of Flamenco rhythms, dance, and guitar. In 2013, Luis gathered his family members to perform as Familia Bermudez at the prestigious Switzerland festival, Obwald Festival. He and Familia Bermudez were invited to return to Obwald Festival in 2015 where they filmed a documentary about Luis’s talented family.
