Felix de Lola

Guest Singer

Felix de Lola hails from Seville, Spain, where he began his singing career with the Compallo family and went on to study with a myriad of renowned flamenco singers, such as Jesús Heredia, José de la Tomasa and Naranjito de Triana.

In recent years, Felix de Lola has performed extensively throughout Western and Eastern Europe, Costa Rica, South Africa and the United States, working with highly acclaimed flamenco artists, including Juan Polvillo, Belén Maya, Carmela Greco, Pastora Galván, Antonio Granjero, La Tania, Antonio Hidalgo, Edwin Aparicio, Maria Benitez, José Luís Postigo and guitarist and composer José Luís Rodríguez, musical director of the famed “Cristina Hoyos Flamenco Company.”

In addition to singing, Felix de Lola composes music and lyrics for flamenco songs and for theatrical works and musical adaptations for flamenco theater. In Costa Rica, he gained recognition as a leading exponent of flamenco for his musical adaptations of the works by various Costa Rican writers. His most recent projects include the adaptations of Cristy Van de Laat’s “The Red Book of Black Haiku” and of the play “Moureliana” based on the poetic works of José Néstor Mourelo Aguilar.

Norberto Chamizo

Special Guest Dancer

Born in Germany into a family of Spanish immigrants, Mr. Norberto Chamizo began studying dance as a child and at the age of nineteen moved to Madrid, Spain, to dedicate his life to flamenco. In Madrid, Mr. Chamizo studied at the renowned flamenco school “Amor de Dios” with internationally acclaimed artists such as Tomás de Madrid, Ciro, “La Tati”, and Belén Fernández.

Since 2001, Mr. Chamizo performed as a soloist in the “Compañía Flamenca Tomás de Madrid”, with which he toured extensively throughout Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and the Baltic states. In 2004, he performed in Greece, Italy, Egypt and Portugal as a soloist in the flamenco collective “Compañía de Madrid.” He has also been teaching flamenco master classes and performing at the local venues throughout Japan on an annual basis since 2000.

Mr. Chamizo formed his own company in 2002, which debuted “Jaleo”, Mr. Chamizo’s first work as a director and choreographer. His second work, “Flamenco Joven”, was premiered in 2004, followed by its second performance as part of a prestigious festival Jornada de Flamenco in Madrid, Spain, where Mr. Chamizo also performed as a soloist. He later incorporated “Flamenco Joven” into a zarzuela in collaboration with “El Teatro de La Villa.”

In 2005, Mr. Chamizo was invited to perform in the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s production of “Amor Brujo” in Baltimore and Washington DC, where he shared the stage with the US-based flamenco talent Anna Menéndez and Edwin Aparicio. Mr Chamizo also appeared as a featured dancer at the legendary Madrid-based tablaos Casa Patas with the renowned Carmela Greco and Café de Chinitas with Pepa Carrasco.

Ricardo Marlow

Guitarist

As a young child, Ricardo (Richard) Marlow was introduced to the guitar by his father, the eminent classical guitarist John E. Marlow. He went on to receive a degree from the James Madison School of Music (James Madison University) in 1997. Mr. Marlow subsequently took up the flamenco guitar and studied with master, Gerardo Núñez, in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain. He has performed with the “Danza del Río Flamenco Company”, with Ana Martínez and Paco de Málaga, Anna Menendez, and since 1997, with the “Arte Flamenco” Dance Company.

Mr. Marlow fulfilled an essential role in Edwin Aparicio’s productions of “Bailes Inéditos”, “Encuentros” and “Íntimo”, where he shared stages with Jesús Montoya, Alfonso Cid, Roberto Castellón, “La Truco”, and Carmela Greco. In 2005, Mr. Marlow performed at the 20th Mayor’s Art’s Awards at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall and Manuel de Falla’s El Amor Brujo, with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at Strathmore in Rockville and at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore. Mr. Marlow regularly performs at theaters, museums and flamenco venues in the Washington, DC and Baltimore metropolitan areas.

Behzad Habibzai

Guitarist

Behzad Habibzai was born in 1983 in Hamburg, Germany. His family originates from Kabul, Afghanistan. Originally a drummer and percussionist, Mr. Habibzai began playing flamenco guitar at the age of 14, the cajon followed soon after. Mr. Habibzai has performed in numerous shows, such as Edwin Aparicio’s Camino al/Flamenco, Anna Menendez’ Pastora: Pena Flamenca I & II, and Bailes Ineditos (Aparicio/Menendez). Behzad can be heard playing cajon and percussion on Don Soledad’s debut album Camino de Seda. Aside from flamenco, Behzad is in the restaurant business, having grown up in family-owned establishments.

Cecilia Terrasa

Dancer

Cecilia Beatriz Terrasa originates from Galicia and Mallorca, Spain. She was a founding member of Micaela Mar's "Danzamarina" and has performed in such venues as The National Theater and The Filene Center at Wolf Trap for the
International Children's Festival in 2003 and 2004. Ms. Terrasa began her
studies with Micaela Mar and Ulrika Frank, currently studies with Anna Menendez, Edwin Aparicio and Genevieve Guinn, and has taken workshops with Carmela Greco, Nelida Tirado and La Truco. Ms. Terrasa has performed at many local
universities, festivals and tablaos. She is currently a member of Anna
Menendez's flamenco group "Pastora," having participated in "Pastora: Peña
Flamenca I & II." Ms. Terrasa is a faculty member at the American Dance
Institute in Rockville, Maryland.

Ricardo Santiago

Dancer

Ricardo Santiago began his dance training as a scholarship student at Ballet Hispanico of New York. He has also received scholarships while attending SUNY Purchase, The Alvin Aily School and Dance Theater Of Harlem. He has studied with Liliana Morales, Manolo Rivera, Luis Montero, La Tati, La China, El Toleo, Omayra Amaya, Edwin Aparicio and Nelida Tirado.
In addition to touring throughout the United States, Ricardo has performed in Trinidad, Germany, Spain, Bolivia, Czech Republic, Poland & Japan.
He has performed in Franco Zeffirelli's productions of Carmen and La Traviata at The Metropolitan Opera, Don Giovanni at Washington Opera, Ballet Hispanico of New York, Bailes Ferrer and has appeared numerous films and music videos including Alanis Morissette's Hand In My Pocket. Ricardo has Performed as a soloist with Carmen Rubio, Sol y Sombra, Flamenco Latino, Alborada Spanish Dance, Carlota Santana, M'oro Flamenco, Flamenco Ole, Danzas Españolas, Flamenco Sepharad and Tri-Cities Opera in Binghamton, NY where he also served as Choreographer for their Production of Carmen.

Yolit Kachlon

Dancer

Yolit Kachlon started dancing flamenco ten years ago in her native Israel. Her list of flamenco teachers includes Carmel Natan-Shelly, Timo Lozano, Manolo Marin, "La Truco", and Edwin Aparicio among others. Ms. Kachlon has performed in Israel with Carmel Natan-Shelly and Timo Lozano's company and in the U.S. with Ziva's Spanish Dance Ensemble. Performance venues in the US have included the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage, Public Playhouse Theater, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Dance Place and others. This is Ms. Kachlon's first appearance alongside Edwin Aparicio.

Dana Shoenberg

Dancer

Dana Shoenberg has been dancing flamenco in the Washington area since 1995. She has performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Organization of American States, the Baltimore Museum of Art, and other theatres, museums, embassies, restaurants and performance spaces in the region. She has danced with the Washington Opera (Le Cid and Dona Francisquita) and with flamenco performing groups including the Ana Martinez Dancers, Arte Flamenco with Natalia Monteleon, and Ziva's Spanish Dance Ensemble, and was recently a guest artist with Pastora, directed by Anna Menendez. She has been fortunate enough to study with La Tati, Carmela Greco, Juana Amaya, Omayra Amaya, Gloria de Jerez and others.

Lisa Scott

Dancer

Lisa Scott has been dancing flamenco since 2000. She began her studies locally with Ziva Cohen and continued her studies with Edwin Aparicio, Anna Menendez, and Genevieve Guinn. Lisa has performed professionally in Edwin Aparicio & Anna Menendez's collaborative work, Bailes Ineditos; in Edwin Aparicio's Encuentros featuring La Truco; and in the Pastora Flamenco Dance Ensemble's performance of Pena Flamenca and their performance of Manuel de Falla's Ritual Firedance with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, both under the direction of Anna Menendez. Lisa's passion for flamenco has also led her to travel annually to Spain. For the past 6 years she has studied intensively in Jerez de la Frontera with some of today's most celebrated dancers, including Rafaela Carrasco and Mercedes Ruiz.

Jason Vera-y-Aragon

Dancer

Jason Vera-y-Aragon has studied flamenco since 1999 and has performed as a member of Arte Flamenco under the direction of Natalia Monteleon. He has performed as a dancer and percussionist at The Kennedy Center, Lisner Auditorium, Library of Congress, Baltimore Museum of Art and the Georgetown Club, where he performed for the Ambassador of Spain. He has also performed at the Tivoli Theater in YERMA de Federico Garcia Lorca directed by Hugo Medrano. He studied dance with Edwin Aparicio, La Tati, El Tellez, Eli"La Truco" and is now studying with Genevieve Guinn "La Genoveva." He has also studied flamenco cajon in Spain with Chico Fargas.