Farruquito at the Quick Center for the Arts, Fairfield, CT, USA

Flamenco like we never saw it before! Farruquito dazzled the audience at the Quick Center for the Arts at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut with his dynamic and engaging performance. If there was ever a passionate, powerful, emotionally evocative dance, it would have to be Flamenco, however Flamenco is much more than just the dance (baile) and the dancers (bailaor (male dancer) and bailaora (female dancer), it is the music and sounds (son), the singers (cantaor (male singer) and cantaora (female singer)), finger snaps (pitos) and hand claps (palmas) that complement the intricate and speed blurring series of footwork (pasos).

Juan Manuel Fernández Montoya "Farruquito"

On Friday, March 1, 2019 we had the extreme pleasure of experiencing Juan Manuel Fernández Montoya "Farruquito" in performance at the Quick Center for the Arts in Fairfield Connecticut, part of his Spring 2019 North American East Coast Tour. Farruquito has been described by The New York Times as, "The Greatest Flamenco Dancer of the New Century" and with an introduction like that, our expectations were extremely high, and they were well delivered by this amazing dancer and his talented ensemble.

Born in Seville, Spain in 1982 to one of the legendary Flamenco families, Farruquito is the son of Flamenco singer Juan Fernández Flores "El Moreno" (he died in 2001) and Flamenco dancer Rosario Montoya Manzano "La Farruca." His grandfather was Antonio Montoya Flores "El Farruco," who was named as one of the greatest dancers in the history of Flamenco; passion and dance flow effortlessly through his body. Farruquito began performing at the age of four, making his debut on Broadway in 1986 appearing with his grandfather in the hit show Flamenco Puro. Since then he has demonstrated his amazing ability as a true master of the passionate art of Flamenco appearing in dance videos, documentaries, performing with his grandfather before his passing in 1997, and bringing his dynamic interpretation of Flamenco to stages throughout the world.

During the 90-minute performance, performed without an intermission, Farruquito and the exceptional cast excited, engaged, and enthralled the audience with his vision, which he described as, "With this new performance, I will unveil my most personal side – staying true to traditional roots, while also presenting the current state of Flamenco, as I see it…"

Flamenco dance is a series of complex steps (pasos) and at times during the performance Farraquito’s legs reminded us of a jack hammer hammering out the foot rhythms with dynamic precision and vision-blurring speed that captivated the audience and held us spellbound throughout the evening.

Flamenco dance also uses arm and wrist movements (braceo) to convey emotions, where a flick of the wrist can be sensual or severe, adding drama and intrigue to the dance. Music (son) and voice (jaleo) as well as finger snapping (pitos) and hand-clapping performed by the palmero who deftly creates sounds via various styles of hand-claps (palmas), done by muted clapping with cupped hands (palmas sordas), and by rhythmically tapping the fingers of the right hand on the palm of the left hand (palmas altas), all contribute to the art of Flamenco which dates to the late 18^th century.

Farruquito and his talented cast delivered a memorable and magical evening of dance, one that the sold-out house will long remember, as they honored them with a standing-ovation tribute to their genius. Walking to our car in the parking lot, we heard many people happily stomping their feet in rhythm perhaps trying to capture the spirit of a spectacular night of dance for a just a little longer. Bravo!

Cast:

Conveniently located in Fairfield, Connecticut, the Quick Center for the Arts is a 30-minute drive from Greenwich and New Haven, a 60-minute drive from Hartford, and a 90-minute drive from New York City.

The Quick Center for the Arts – the center for creativity and culture has an extensive program of theatre, dance, opera, classic, and jazz series, as well as family productions throughout the year.

There is always something wonderful happening at The Quick!

A sampling of the many exciting upcoming programs at the Quick Center for the Arts:

For information and the complete list of up coming programs and events, please visit the website, www.QuickCenter.com.

Fortickets or information, please call: +1-203-254-4010 or toll-free:1-877-ARTS-396 (1-877-278-7396).

Quick Center for the Arts
Fairfield University
1073 North Benson Road
Fairfield, CT 06824
United States
Telephone: +1-203-254-4010
Toll-Free: +1-877-ARTS-396
Email: boxoffice@quickcenter.com
Website: www.QuickCenter.com
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/FairfieldQuickCenter

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