MIZUHO
SATO
FLAMENCO
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Artistic Direction / Choreography / Dress Design / Planning : Mizuho Sato
Guitar : Jesse Torre
Cante : Felix de Lora
Percussion : Melissa Cruz
Dance : Mizuho Sato & Company
Musicians' Biography
Felix de Lola
Flamenco Singer
Felix de Lola begun his singing carerr with the Campallo family and studied with the renowned flamenco singers Jesús Heredia and Naranjito de Triana. He has performed on stages throughout Western and eastern Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia and the United States, singing for a list of illustrious artists: Juan Porvillo, Belén Maya, domingo ortega, Juan Ogalla, Andres Peña, Carmela Greco, Pastora Galvan.
Felix composes music and verses for flaenco song, theatrical works and musical adaptations for flamenco theater. Recently he composed musical adaptations of Costa Rican writer Cristy Van de Laat's The Red Book of Black Haiku and the play Moureliaa, based on the poetic works of writer José Néstor Mourelo Aguilar, Nominated in 2011 to receive an award in Costa Rica, by the foundation José Néstor Mourelo Aguilar.
He also sang in the most prestigious Tablaos ( Flamenco Club) in Spain like Los Gallos (Seville), El Arenal (Seville), Las Carboneras (Madrid), Casa Patas (Madrid),Villa Rosa (Madrid), Las tablas (Madrid), El Corralde la Moreria (Madrid).
Felix is a business man, he worked with Jose Luis Postigo to open the first Guitar Museum in Spain, also he opened his own tablao i downtown Madrid called "La Cueva de Lola".
At the present time he moved back to San Francisco and opened a Spanish food company with flamenco performances.
Jesse Torre
Guitar, Music Theory
Jesse Torre began studying guitar at the age of ten, and in his studies has developed an unwitting passion for playing and teaching. Bay Area native Jesse has studied with classical guitarist Angel Miguel Lejarza Leo, flamenco guitar virtuoso Jason Mcguire, and has worked under the mindful instruction of classical guitarist Nicholas Goluses at the Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester, New York. There Jesse completed his Bachelors in Music (Classical Performance) with distinction, and was honored with a Performer’s Certificate, demonstrating excellence in guitar performance. During his undergraduate studies, Jesse performed in masterclasses led by the prestigious GFA winner, Tengyue Zhang, and Bach expert, Paul Galbraith. His time at Eastman has given him a strong background in music theory; he is an advocate for the written and aural analysis of music, and stresses the importance of composition and instrumental exploration. As a performer and teacher, Jesse specializes in flamenco and classical guitar, though he offers instruction in a variety of genres including: folk, blues, fingerstyle, pop, rock and rumba, to name a few. As a theory educator, Jesse covers theoretical concepts dating as far back as the Baroque, and addresses concepts of harmony and improvisation that overlap with aspects of jazz and contemporary music. Lessons are tailored to meet each individual student’s needs, interests, and various learning styles in order to ensure enthusiasm and musical growth. His patience and humor make learning fun.
Melissa Cruz
Melissa Cruz is a Bay Area-based flamenco professional and has been a full- time flamenco artist and instructor for the past 19 years. She began training with the Bay Area’s acclaimed flamenco master Rosa Montoya and soon thereafter, joined Ms. Montoya's professional company. Melissa has performed as a soloist in the San Francisco International Arts Festival and has presented in eight San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festivals, twice as a featured soloist. In 2013, she was commissioned to present a solo representing the genre of flamenco in the San Francisco Isadora Duncan Awards Ceremony. She teaches a full schedule of classes and mentors her students in their development of flamenco knowledge and interpretation culminating in formal annual recitals, of which she has produced seven consecutively. Enjoying a concurrent musical career, she is percussionist/drummer/dancer with several active musical projects. She currently continues as principal dancer and choreographer for the San Francisco Flamenco Dance Company and has collaborated with Flamenco Fever (Dallas) Oleaje Flamenco (Seattle), Quiero Flamenco (Spokane), Arte y Pasion (San Antonio), Ballet Flamenco La Rosa, (Miami), Tuscon Flamenco Festival (Tuscon) St. Louis Flamenco Society (St. Louis MO), Flamenco Pacifico (Portland OR) Theatre Flamenco of San Francisco and Caminos Flamencos (San Francisco). Recently, she was Artistic Director of "The Flamenco Room" San Francisco’s longest running cabaret flamenco show. Summer 2021 saw Melissa featured in the one-woman flamenco theater play, "Flamenco on my Own" produced in collaboration with Ballet Flamenco La Rosa in Miami and as a featured performer and instructor at the prestigious Festival Flamenco Albuquerque presented by the National Institute of Flamenco. Most recently, she was a Producer for Arts in the Basin, curating the program’s Friday night live performances, was a featured presenter for World Arts West in their Dance Series at Presidio Tunnel Tops program and a featured soloist in the first annual Peninsula International Dance Festival. In addition to her accomplished artistic career, Melissa is a Bachelor of the Arts graduate of UC Berkeley and holds a Juris Doctor degree from University of San Francisco. As described by Rachel Howard of the SF Chronicle: "Any dancer could make pained faces. But Cruz is clearly possessed by the duende -- the spirit that drives this deeply introspective art."
Making of ¡FLAMENKING!
We are flamenc@s, we are diverse, we are evolving, and WE ARE READY!
¡FLAMENKING! is our passion, our voice, our expression of life lead by Flamenco which is from Andalucia, Spain, with a twist of wherever we're from. We met in the US through the study of this artform, which we love to showcase the world that we are here and feeling all the emotions around us such as sadness, frustration, anger, despair, solitude, breakthrough, joy, happiness, and beyond. You must see the power of sharing all of them together to embrace life through Flamenco!
Mizuho Sato Flamenco Company is a brand new flamenco company based in San Francisco which includes so many immigrant dancers and musicians from all over the world which makes us very unique. Artistic director Mizuho Sato was born in Japan, trained as a classic ballet dancer since the age of 3, switched her career to flamenco at 18 while she was studying her major of Sociology in Sophia University in Japan. Mizuho is an award winner of Japanese Flamenco Association and Spanish Ambassador at the age of 20. Then she moved her base to Los Angeles in 2003. Since then she was featured in movies like "Puss in Boots" by Dreamworks, Los Angeles Flamenco documentary "KUMPANIA" by Katina Dunn, and has been teaching and performing at so many flamenco venues and festivals inside and outside of California. She was producing her student shows and workshops of Spanish artists every year in LA for a decade.
Mizuho relocated to the Bay Area in 2015 due to her husband's job. She was suffering under her husband's alcoholism and verbal abuse, so she decided to leave him in 2018. Then he passed away in March 2022. During this hard time, Flamenco was her savior of life. Flamenco kept her motivated and healed her constantly. Throughout this tough time, she was still teaching kids and adults and continued performing nonstop.
After COVID lockdown and frustrating zoom lessons, it took us over a year to prepare for this recital. It is very emotional that we're finally here to present the world how strong and resilient we are, and how much joy, laughter, dedication and love we create when we're together.
Flamenco is alive in Bay Area, and we're a brand new flamenco company in San Francisco directed by Mizuho Sato who is now more determined and on fire than ever to serve the community. She went through lots of tough time and now she knows that it works to heal people tremendously by the power of healing that Flamenco has, Flamencura. Now she wants to spread the magic to the audience and the community of Bay Area.
Come witness and be a part of this huge celebration of life!
Let's get ¡FLAMENKING!
1/28/23 Mizuho Sato
*There will be wine tasting, pop up Flamenco shop, and showcasing Mizuho Sato aka ZMIIIMZ 's first art installation and secret auctions.
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