by Alice Blumenfeld, Abrepaso Flamenco Artistic/Executive Director
Abrepaso Flamenco Presents the World Premiere of:
A. Periplum
7:30pm June 2nd & 3rd 2023
Pilgrim Church Theatre – Tremont (Cleveland), Ohio
2592 W 14th St, Cleveland, OH 44113
Tickets: $25 https://aperiplumjune2023.eventbrite.com
Cleveland, April 15th 2023:
A. Periplum is a one-woman dance performance with live music that takes the audience on a spellbinding journey from the landscapes of our inner longings to the literal and figurative mountains we must climb on the way to becoming ourselves.
“Periplum” is a term coined by Ezra Pound, signifying, “A journey not by fixed charts or stars, but by intuition and reason…the journey thus becomes one continuous discovery and accumulation of experience.”
Four award-winning artists of diverse disciplines and backgrounds have knit their visions of periplum into an evening length performance. Alice Blumenfeld, a flamenco and contemporary dancer known for her “fierce presence (her movements seem to arise from several feet beneath the ground)” (Thinking Dance) and her “sharp and exhilarating” energy onstage (Philadelphia Inquirer) will be accompanied by trumpeter Dominick Farinacci, recognized by The New York Times as “a trumpeter of abundant poise.” The choreography is a creation of Felise Bagley’s, whose career spans three decades of dance with some of the most venerable companies. Joshua M. Lawhorn brings the inner landscapes to life through his award-winning cinematic vision. The four artists expand the horizon of contemporary dance, live jazz music, and cinematography.
The work began as playful experimentation between Bagley and Blumenfeld, each bringing their unique experiences to the studio. Bagley’s fresh vision of flamenco’s possibilities with her somatic and modern dance experience pushes Blumenfeld’s already powerful stage presence to new heights. Farinacci’s compositions further elevate the work, matching the details in the movement to further the expressive intent. Finally, Lawhorn’s short films create an experience that places the audience inside the landscapes of the industrial Midwest to the open skies of New Mexico.
About the artists:
Felise Bagley, is a native New Yorker and a seasoned professional whose dance career spans more than three decades. Her longevity and excellence in dance were recently recognized with a Cleveland Arts Prize Mid Career Award in 2015. Her experiences have taken her across the globe, including to: New York City Center as a guest artist with The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; The Kennedy Center as a guest artist with The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago; The State Theatre in Cleveland’s Playhouse Square with Opera Cleveland; Madison Square Garden with The Knick’s City Dancers; L’Opera Comique in Paris, France for the annual Concours Le Danse; and The Nostos Festival at The Stavros Niarchos Cultural Center in Athens, Greece for the world premiere of “Just Human” with Corningworks.
Alice Blumenfeld is a scholar, choreographer, educator, and performer. Her recognitions include: a Fulbright Grant in dance in Spain (2012), a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts (2008), and a two-time Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award recipient in choreography (FY20 & 22). She toured nationally with Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana for five seasons, and has been a guest artist with Nélida Tirado, the American Bolero Dance Company, Antonio Granjero, Jácome Flamenco, among other companies and she has performed in Berlin and Spain. She premiered an original evening of flamenco at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage in 2014 and has been a featured TedX Speaker. Her work has been featured on Buzzfeed, in Dance Magazine, among other outlets.
Dominick Farinacci is a New York City-based trumpeter who served as ambassador to Jazz at Lincoln Center from 2013-2015 in Doha, Qatar, working to further integrate music into communities around the world in culturally collaborative ways. He is a 2022 recipient of the Cleveland Arts Prize. Dominick graduated from The Juilliard School in 2005 launching his career in Japan with a prolific run of eight albums, later releasing four more globally. His 2016 recording “Short Stories” was produced by four-time Grammy Award winning producer Tommy LiPuma. Dominick’s latest double EP “Reflections” features a series of duo performances with acclaimed pianists and the lead track on “Reflections” has received more than 1 million streams on Spotify in recent months.
Joshua M. Lawhorn is a Cleveland-based Director and Editor. Most recently, his short documentary, Olympic Oaks: Continuing Jesse Owens’ Legacy, was given a featured slot at the Cleveland International Film Festival 2023. The work has been hailed as “powerful” and “revelatory” for its authentic storytelling. Olympic Oaks also won Best Local Short at the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival in 2022. Joshua previously served as a Sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2010-2014. Joshua graduated from Cleveland State University in 2018 with a degree in Film & Interactive Media. His professional experience includes documentaries, live-broadcast sports, and animation. He is currently a director and the lead editor for Flex Media.
Abrepaso Flamenco was founded in 2016 in Albuquerque, NM. The name comes from a Spanish phrase that expresses forging a new pathway forward. The name reflects a vision of flamenco that allows for new entry points into and new pathways within the art form. Based in Northeast Ohio, this will be the company’s fifth evening length original work.
This work is made possible with funding from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, the Ohio Arts Council, and New Music USA.
