MONET'S MOON: A FLAMENCO CONCERT Comes to Teatro Paraguas

Compañia Chuscales y Mina Fajardo in conjunction with Teatro Paraguas present a flamenco concert inspired by the art of French Impressionist Claude Monet under the direction of choreographer, composer and dancer Mina Fajardo entitled Monet's Moon. La Companía first presented this riveting production in October 2018 to sold-out houses at Teatro Paragaus.

Fajardo writes: We have turned the beauty of (Monet's) painting with a brush to painting with our bodies and shoes to the compas (flamenco rhythms) of the guitar. We have turned a delicate stroke of a brush into a delicate floreo (handwork). A dip of a brush into a tacon (heel) on to the floor. We use our bodies as a brush, the walls as our canvas, and the guitar to feed our imagination. We take Monet's joy in his paintings to inspire a Seguiriya & Alegrias with bata de cola. We translate his pain with a Solea, his innocence with a Garrotin, and his love with Tientos y Tangos.

Joining Mina Fajardo onstage are flamenco dancers Sveta Backhaus, Janira Cordova, Charo Shaffer-Perez, and Lacey Romero. The Saltanah Dancers join La Compañia onstage with their own exciting and dynamic Middle Eastern dancing, with dancers Deborah Newberg, Erica McFadden, and Misty Raivo.

Well-known Santa Fe-based singer Megan Chandler provides haunting vocals, accompanied on guitar by the world-renowned Chuscales, as well as special guest percussionist and dancer Jesus Muñoz of Flamenco Works. The production includes original music compositions by Mina Fajardo.

La Compañia Chuscales y Mina Fajardo has performed many original concerts with dramatic themes at Teatro Paraguas, beginning in 2013. These include Flamenco x3 (2015), Una Nota de Lorca (2016), Choreography & Calligraphy (2017), Dance with Spirit (2017), Carmen la Golondrina (2018), and Flamenco Fiesta Feria de Abril (2019).

Mina has trained extensively in flamenco, Escuela bolero, jazz, Tap and ballet. She trained under many renowned flamenco artists, including El Guito, Carmera Greco, Ciro, La Tati, La China, Alejandro Granados, and Yolanda Heredia. She has taught at the Maria Benitez Institute for Spanish Arts, Northern New Mexico University, Santa Fe Community College, Eva Encinias Sandoval's National Institute of Flamenco, Casablanca Studios, Moving Arts Española, as well as Maria Vazquez Flamenco Denver, The Spanish Institute of Dance in Houston, and Fazil Dance Studio & Japanese Chamber of Commerce in New York City. Fajardo has performed in Japan, New York City, San Francisco, Boston, Denver, Houston, Maryland and Albuquerque. In Santa Fe, She has performed at the Santa Fe Opera and the Santa Fe Jazz and International Music Festival at the Lensic Theatre.

Tickets are $30 general admission and $25 for seniors and students, and may be purchased online at MonetsMoon2019.BrownPaperTickets.com.

Reservations may also be made by calling 505-424-1601. Performances are Thursday through Sunday, October 24-27, 2019, and begin at 7:00 p.m. Teatro Paraguas is located at 3205 Calle Marie, in Santa Fe.

This project is made possible in part by New Mexico Arts, a division of the Dept. of Cultural Affairs, The Santa Fe Arts Commission and the 1% Lodgers' Tax, and the Witter Bynner Foundation for Poetry.