This concert brings together two dancers, Fiona Malena (Berlin) and Anastassiia La Musa, with guitarist Tosh Hayashi and violinist Jonathan Lewis, in an explosive mix of sound, movement, and emotion that is flamenco. Experience the artistry and the expressive power of music and dance of these talented performers, as they engage in a dynamic creative dialogue on stage at the beautiful Church of the Redeemer.

Anastassiia La Musa – dancer

Fiona Malena – dancer

Tosh Hayashi – guitarist

Jonathan Lewis – violin

Flamenco in its purest sense, is a professionalized art-form based on the folkloric traditions of Andalusia. In the 21st century it has evolved to incorporate many modern influences. It includes cante (singing), toque (guitar playing), baile (dance), jaleo (vocalizations and chorus clapping), palmas (handclapping) and pitos (finger snapping). Though popularly attributed to the Romani people of Spain, the origins of flamenco are largely unknown.

Flamenco dancer Fiona Malena performs world-wide, collaborating with artists such as El Torombo and Ramón Martínez. Passionate and innovative, her ensemble is richly varied and powerfully percussive. With the energized fusion of world music and rhythms, her performances have recently led to consecutive sold-out concerts in Spain.

Joining Fiona is local sensation Anastassiia La Musa, a Russian-born, Mexican flamenco dancer residing in Calgary. Trained in Madrid, Spain, her artistic practice is deeply rooted in tradition, yet also explores the boundaries and the intersection of flamenco with contemporary dance forms. Anastassiia’s creative process is based on free and structured improvisations, while building spatial and rhythmic patterns in response to the music or other visual or audio inputs.

This concert is the fourth in a series of five Distinctive Artists Concerts during 2019 generously sponsored by: