MISSION AND BACKGROUND

Mission

The mission of Noche Flamenca is to create a diverse theatrical body of performance through song, music, and dance that expresses a rigorous, spell-binding aesthetic in the form of flamenco; one that exceeds the highest artistic expectations. The company strives to captivate its audiences through its live performances and to evoke in them the vivid and expansive sea of passion and emotion that is flamenco. Through its educational outreach and residency programs, the company seeks to educate and enlighten persons of all ages, races, and economic backgrounds regarding the authentic form of flamenco – a form born of ancestral cultural repression and racial expulsion.

Background

Formed in 1993 by Martín Santangelo and his Bessie award-winning wife, Soledad Barrio, Noche Flamenca has been hailed by critics everywhere for its transcendent and deeply emotional performances. Born of passion and the desire to present the authentic form of flamenco to audiences throughout the globe, Noche Flamenca is noted for creating a diverse theatrical body of work that expresses the rigorous, spellbinding aesthetic of flamenco that exceeds the highest artistic expectations. 

Santangelo has successfully brought to the stage the essence, purity, and integrity of one of the world's most complex and mysterious art forms without the use of tricks or gimmicks. All aspects of flamenco- dance, song, and music- are interrelated and given equal weight, creating a true communal spirit within the company - the very heart and soul of flamenco.

Performance highlights include regular seasons in New York City, including at Lincoln Center, the Joyce Theater, Joe's Pub at the Public Theater and at its home base at the West Park Presbyterian Church. Noche Flamenca also tours extensively across the U.S., throughout Canada, in Europe, the Middle East, Argentina, and Australia.

In support of its mission to educate and enlighten audiences about flamenco, the company offers extensive residency programs and classes that reach out to people of all ages, races, and economic means.

Noche Flamenca has been recognized with awards from the National Dance Project, the MAP Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Lucille Lortel Award for Special Theatrical Experience and most recently an exceptional artist award for Soledad Barrio from Dance Magazine, the Vilcek Prize in Dance in 2022 and most recently, a Bessie Award for Outstanding Performer at the Joyce Theatre.