AN INTERNATIONAL flamenco company is to open its UK tour with a performance in Basingstoke.
Mi Flamenco is kickstarting its tour with their show 'Echoes' at The Haymarket on Sunday, June 9.
Producer and lead dancer Ester Tal is to bring a range of flamenco artists to the stage.
Ms Tal is from the South of England, but lived in Spain for 14 years, where she trained and worked as a flamenco dancer.
READ MORE: G4 to celebrate two decades of 'Popera' with a landmark concert
The production will combine "engaging filmic imagery, emotive flamenco dance and soul-stirring music and voice".
The show promises to "bring the audience an immersive experience of flamenco sights and sounds, inviting the audience to embark on a unique journey into flamenco and Andalusian culture".
The production boasts an impressive roster of artists who encapsulate the spirit and essence of flamenco.
The original music is written and played by Ms Tal’s partner both on and off stage, Uri Tal, composed for both guitar and cello.
Cellist Nick Squires, of internet sensation Cello in the Rain, and Luis Vargas Monge, a gypsy singer from Jerez, complete the musical backdrop.
SEE ALSO: Veterans and residents invited to 80th D-Day mayoral celebrations
The integral components of a flamenco show, such as percussive footwork, intricate movement, and vibrant expression, are displayed by flamenco dancers Tomas Arroquero and Ms Tal.
She studied with some of the most renowned flamenco teachers and artists ever seen in Spain in the Amor de Dios flamenco school in Madrid and in Jerez de la Frontera, in Andalusia, the city of flamenco.
She has studied with flamenco dancers and teachers such as Maria Magdalena, Maria Bermudez, Ciro, Belen Fernandez, Manuela Carpio, Mercedes Ruiz, Ani Maria Lopez and others.
Early on in her career, she toured Spain with Maria Gracia and the Spanish classical singers in 'Esas Cosas del Querer', where she performed solos and duets as support to the show.
She has also danced on the circuit of the more intimate flamenco venues called 'peñas' and 'tablaos' alongside other well-known flamenco artists.
In 2005, she was invited to perform with other Jerez artists, in “Las Noches de la Plazuela”, an annual event which takes place in one of the oldest and most prestigious peñas in Andalusia, “Los Cernícalos”.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here