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Flamenco y Más
About Us
Flamenco y Más is a collective of artists working together to develop and present programs that inspire, entertain, and educate.
Flamenco is the passion, spirit, and legacy of the Spanish Gypsies exhibited through their ever-evolving music, song, and dance. y Más... and more... is what we add from our own lives, loves, and lessons.
Mission
Flamenco Y Más is a Tucson based organization of affiliated artists and aficionados which presents flamenco to diverse communities through excellent performances and education programs.
History
Flamenco y Más was founded because Olivia Rojo fell in love with Flamenco! She organized Flamenco y Más to preserve and promote a precious, passionate piece of our Hispanic heritage. Beginning in 1991, Flamenco y Más cultivated and expanded the Arizona audience of flamenco aficionados. It subsidized students' education through interaction with high caliber flamenco performers from America and Spain. These events resulted in Olivia receiving a Governor's award for her deep commitment to cultural preservation.
Flamenco y Más events brought together students, community, and artists for periods of one day to one month. Lluvia Flamenca, a biennial music and dance festival, was the largest of these regular events featuring concerts with famed performers and an opportunity for locals to be involved. Several guest artists became regulars to the Tucson Community, savoring its support and appetite for their artistry. Sevillana Sunday was a biannual showcase for flamenco students in a fiesta setting that was open to family and community participation. Other events included Cabaret Flamenco (in the flamenco café tradition), workshops, lecture demonstrations and the presentation of the Flamenco Youth Ensemble (Children ages 6-14).
Today Olivia brings together a vibrant new generation of Flamenco y Más : a collection of dynamic Arizona flamenco artists, who are dedicated to sharing their talents and knowledge with students, community, friends, and family.
Olivia Rojo is native to Tucson, Arizona. She has training in jazz and ballet, and was a professional ballroom dancer before embracing flamenco as a student, performer, and director of her own company, Flamenco y Más. As FYM director she has created many events that have cultivated the Arizona flamenco audience and brought together community, students, and international artists for nearly two decades. In the year 2000 Olivia was awarded recognition by the Governor for the preservation of Spanish culture in Arizona. She has studied and collaborated with many American flamenco Artists. Through workshops and travels to Spain, she has studied with many masters of flamenco, including: José Galván, Matilde Coral, Juana Amaya, and most recently Ángel Atienza. In the fall of 2002 Olivia moved to the Washington DC area where she continued her love of teaching flamenco at the DC Dance Collective and became a member of Mirada Flamenca Dance Company under the direction of Ulrika Frank. She has recently relocated to Orange California, but through her travels has maintained a home in her birthplace. She continues to participate and support flamenco development in the Old Pueblo inspired by the new generation of Tucson talent.