Thank you for your tremendous support!
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"Work and performers of such quality and stature deserve to be seen more often...With the Cruel Gardens, Vargas sought to push boundaries"
Flying Inkpot, 28th September 2013
In THE CRUEL GARDENS, Antonio Vargas interprets the psyche of the bullfight with the score of Béla Bartók, “Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion”, using a combination of Flamenco and Contemporary dance, to explore the struggle between men’s inner self and outer ego, his animalistic instinct versus his spiritual side, his id and ego.
The tradition of the bullfight, has always been a ritual of extreme occult significance. The primary meaning of this ritual concerns the triumph of the Enlightened Man over his own animal nature.
Interlaced within the choreography are excerpts from the poetry ofGarcia Lorca’s ““Llanto por Ignacio Sánchez Mejías” (“Lament for Ignacio SánchezMejías”) written in 1935, a haunting and powerful elegy of the goring and death of a bullfighter, who was Lorca’s friend.
The work shows the superstition, fear and flirtation with death of the bullfighter and bull.
The beast relates to Man’s own lower carnal appetites and desires such as fear, pride, and lust, which are represented in the symbol of the raging bull. The bull symbolizes the lust and desire inherent within Man and his physical body, and the matador represents men’s super consciousness in controlling his basic instincts.
Faced with inflicting punishment, the brave bull continues to fight till the very end, till the final moment of truth between the Bull and Man.
Samarpana 2013- The Asian Festival of Classical Dance showcases the brilliantly allegorical ‘The Cruel Gardens’ (El Jardín de La Crueldad).
'Artistic director Antonio Vargas has created a complex work that traversed cultures, reflecting on tradition and modernity, society expectations and individual needs, suppression and freedom"
ST Life, Stephanie Burridge 25/03/2013
"Flamenco's vocabulary lends itself extraordinarily to the friction between the five sisters of the household"
Flying Inkpot, Germaine Cheng 24/03/2013
Thank you everyone in THE HOUSE !
It wrapped up with great success last night and many of us were in tears after this wonderful collaboration and team work with such a talented team of artistes, to create our first breakthrough theater performance!
It would not have been possible without our most patient, visionary and dearest Maestro Antonio , the every talented playwright and drama co-director Joel, the outstanding band of musicians lead by Jorge Padilla and Kailin , our talented actresses , Flamenco Sin Fronteras team of dancers, and our dear matriarch Viviana and wonderful production team helmed by How Pang.
And most of us , to our our family/friends/and the public who came to support us and gave us such a rewarding applause and fantastic reviews!!!
THANK YOU all from the bottom of our hearts :)
We share excerpts and some reviews here!
2013 : PROGRAMS
MAJOR PRODUCTIONS 2013:
28th Sept 2013: THE CRUEL GARDENS, Samarpana: Classical Festival of Asian Dance, Drama Theatre
23rd /24th March 2013 : THE HOUSE, SOTA Drama Theatre
TRADTIONAL PRODUCTIONS 2013
31st August :Pasion Flamenca : Zsofi Tapas Bar
26th May Flamenco Puro: The Arts House Chamber
April: Singapore Flamenco Festival Chjimes
OUTREACH PROGRAM
NAC-AEP:
17th Sept: Nanyang Girls School
3rd Sept: Changkrat Changi
16th Aug: Marsiling Sec School
6th Aug: Fuchun Sec School
2nd July: West Spring Sec School
20th May: Chestnut Drive Sec School
30th May: SJI International
16th April: Mcpherson Primary
11th April: Mayflower Pri
11th April: Chung Cheng High School
8th April: Christchurch Sec
13th March: First Toa Payoh
6th March: National Junior College
1st March: Mayflower Sec
31st Jan: ITE Simei
23rd Jan: CHIJ Toa Payoh
16th Jan: National Junior College
14th Jan: Bukit View Sec School
COMMUNITY and YOUTH:
14th Dec : Verve The Arts House
17th and 27th July : Art in Motion: NLB: Woodland Regional Library and Toa Payoh Library
21st June: Musifest at SGH : SGH
4th April: NUS Rondalla
23rd Jan: Soul of Spain, Exonmobil Concerts, UCC theatre
COMMUNITY CENTRE and SPACES:
30th Nov: Kallang CC and Toa Payoh
13th July: Bukit Panjang
21st July: Fengshan CC
7th, 13th, 27th April: PassionArts Festival : Bt Panjang, Bedok, Toa Payoh
31st March: Bedok North
CORPORATE PERFORMANCES:
Various : 11th Oct Spanish Night Capella Hotel, 6th Dec Catalunya, Clarke Quay etc
PAST PERFORMANCES 2009-2012:
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1st Anniversary Showcase: Goodman Arts Centre: 16th/17th Oct 2012
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Frontier CC Youth Executive Commitee Arts Fiesta: 15th September 2012
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Club Rainbow Gala Dinner Fort Canning : 27th July 2012
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" Around the world " HDB community arts outreach : 16th/30th June 2012
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Club Rainbow Artitude Concert : UCC Concert Hall : 3rd June 2012
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Nation's Cup: SICC Charity Golf Dinner : 6th June 2012
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Capella Hotel: Sevilla Noche : 18th May 2012
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Downtown East Carnival: 26th May 2012
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Espiritu Flamenco: Goodman Centre Black Box : 10/11th Dec 2011
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NCCS Gala Dinner : "Colors of Hope" GOH : Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong : 1st Dec 2011
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Singapore Heritage Festival : 17th July 23rd July 2011
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Vivocity Flamenco Festival" Flamenco Under The Stars" 18/19th June 2011
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Vivocity Flamenco Festival Fringe 13-17th june 2011
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Capella Hotel " The Knolls" 28th May 2011
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The Strings of Time, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Concert Hall, 3rd April 2011
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Chingay Arts Street 11th, 12th February 2011
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Spanish Women Speaking Association Gala Charity Ball, St Regis 30th October 2010
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Laberinto Flamenco Festival " Flamenco Cantata, Chijmes Hall 23rd-24th Oct 2010
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Laberinto Flamenco Festival Fringe, Chijmes 23rd-24th Oct 2010
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" Anda Jaleo" One Rochester May 2010
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" Duende Gitano" Flamenco tablao with El Titi, La Viva Chijmes 14th May 2010
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European Union Day , Asian Civilisation Musuem, 7th May 2010
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Encore Festival Press Conference, Fullerton Post Bar, 7th May 2010
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"Entre Amigos", La Viva Chjimes, 17th April'10
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Semana Santa , Bodegas y Tapas on 6th April '10
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Arts @ Sembawang, 27th March 2010
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Spanish Food fair , Hollandaise Club 6th March 2010
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Friends of Encore! Jewel Box Mt Faber 9th Feb 2010
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Shangri-la New Year's Eve Party, 31st Dec 2009
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St Regis, New Year's Eve Event, 31st Dec 2009
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Los Tarantos Recital:The Spirit of Dance!UCC Theatre 13th Dec 09
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Cinco Sueños, The Arts House Playden, 7/8th Nov 2009
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Grand Copthorne Waterfront, Spanish food promotion, Sept'09
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Ladies Glam Nite, Tapas Tree, 7th Aug'09
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Flamenco at Orgo, Esplanade Rooftop 1st Aug'09
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Enterprise One Asia Awards, Ritz Carlton, 28th July'09
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Macumba! Azzucar with Cubania, 30th June 2009
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Flamenco and Javier Roldan at One Rochester, 28th May'09
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Camino Flamenco, DBS Auditorium 25th April'09
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Feria de Abril , Chjimes, 18/19th April 2009
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Raizes for Dover Park Hospice Charity Ball, St Regis Sept 08
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Soniquete, Tablao show, La Viva 28th june 08
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Passion, Grace and Fire, Drama Centre 26th April 08
Major Productions 2014
Singapore Flamenco Festival 2104: I am who I am
17th/19th Oct 2014: FlamencAsian: GAC Black Box
23rd Oct 2014: Flamenco Puro: Esplanade Recital Studio
24th/25th Oct 2014: Double Bill: Ten Layers of Frills/ Breaking Silence: GAC Black Box
25th/26th Oct 2014: Elements: GAC Black Box
Performances/ Productions
26th January 2014: Flamenco Live Tablao: Don Quijote
13th April 2014: El Comienzo Tablao: Don Quijote
3rd/4th May 2014: La Feria: GAC Black Box
17th August 2014: Sin Fronteras Tablao: Don Quijote
29th November 2014: Shantanaji Festival of Arts: Hong Lim Park
5th December 2014: Shantanand Festival of Arts: Shantanand Auditorium Kuala Lumpur
NAC AEP Programs
10th Feb 2014: Rosyth School
26th Feb/5th March 2014: Tanjong Katong Girls School
4th March 2014: Elias Primary School
7th March 2014: East Coast Primary School
4th April 2014: Zhenghua Secondary
7th April 2014Commonwealth Secondary School
7th April 2014: Pei Cai School
8th April 2014: Princess Elizabeth
8th April 2014: Dunman High
19th May 2014: Yishun Secondary
26th May 2014: Rivervale Primary
28th May 2014: Hong Kah Secondary
15th July 2014: Raffles Institution
16th July 2014: Toa Payoh Primary
22nd July 2014: Bedok North Secondary
23rd July 2014: YuHua Secondary
4th August 2014: Nanhua Primary
14th August 2014: Yishun Secondary
4th September 2014: Gan Eng Seng
16th September 2014: Bukit Batok Secondary
22nd September 2014: Chong Zheng Primary
22nd September 2014: Guang Yang Primary
29th October 2014: Shu Qun Primary
5th November 2014: Unity Primary
7th November 2014: Temasek Polyttechnic
17th/18th November 2014: CHIJ St Nicholas
20th November 2014: Yale NUS
Community Programs
23rd March 2014: Jurong West CC
20th August: Marina Bay Link Mall
1st August -25th October 2014: SAMH workshop and performance
7th September 2014: Flamenco Flash Mob
Charity Performances
1st March 2014: Red Cross Gala: Shangri La
1st June 2014: SICC Nation’s Cup