Tree of Life - Flamenco

Compañía Chuscales & Mina Fajardo are coming back to Teatro Paraguas this Spring!

Teatro Paraguas is proud to welcome back one of their favorite and most prolific Flamenco groups, Compañía Chuscales & Mina Fajardo. Mina Fajardo & Chuscales are award winning artists and musical composers, whose shows are always original and exciting.

Mina Fajardo has once again created original choreography for this Spring's show, aptly called "Tree of Life" (Arbol de la Vida), illuminating the tree of life through flamenco. Mina has been pondering this choreography for years, because for her, trees are the most important plants on the earth. Life could not exist on earth without trees; humans cannot live without trees. Trees produce oxygen and remove carbon dioxide. Without trees, we wouldn't get any more cherry blossoms in Spring, and since she was born in Japan, the Cherry Blossoms have special meaning for Mina.

Mina studied about trees when she was a medical technology college student in Japan. When asked why she felt this choreography was so important, she said, "Recently we have had so many wildfires in the world. I want to explain through my dance, my Flamenco, how important trees are for all of us."

She went on to say, "Flamenco is like a tree, a tree is like Flamenco. The tree of flamenco is like the Flamenco Palos (different musical forms in flamenco) with many branches, but the main branches are the Palos of Soleares, Seguiriyas, Tonas, Fandangos, Tangos, and more. I believe each Palo has a family; like Soleares connects to Caña, Alborea, Bulerias, Cantiñas (Alegrias)."

This show starts with Flamenco Palo GRANAINA, composed by renowned Flamenco guitarist Chuscales, (who comes from Granada, Spain) and the poem "Arbolé, Arbolé.." by Federico García Lorca (Granada, 1898-1936). Federico Garcia Lorca is considered one of the greatest poets and playwrights of the twentieth century. The poem will be performed by Argos MacCallum, who received a standing ovation during the company's most recent concert, "Gypsy Moon & Stars," just a few weeks ago. Mr. MacCallum has been featured in many movies, including "Seraphim Falls," "The Lone Ranger," and "Appaloosa," to name a few.

This Festival features dancers Mina Fajardo, Janira Cordova, & Sveta Backhaus: "Trees in Spring" by all 3 dancers, "Trees in Summer" by Sveta Backhaus, "Trees in Fall" by Mina Fajardo, and "Trees in Winter" by Janira Cordova.

THE CREW:
Artistic Director, Choreographer, Playwright: Mina Fajardo
Musical Director & Composer: Chuscales
Actor & Poetry Readings: Argos MacCallum
Dancers: Mina Fajardo, Janira Cordova, Sveta Backhaus
Lighting Design/Booth Operator: Jeff Tarnoff