About the Work

In Entre Líneas, Laura Peralta uses individual symbolic elements of Flamenco – the dress, the shawl, the guitar, rhythm, masculinity, and femininity – to examine the tension between tradition and self-expression and explore how Flamenco’s archetypes can be both limiting and empowering. In her debut production as an emerging independent artist, Peralta charts a new path after over a decade performing with renowned companies such as Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana and Soledad Barrio y Noche Flamenca, among many others. Entre Líneas invites a dialogue about tradition, innovation, and the ways we define ourselves through art.

Entre Líneas will be presented on Saturday, February 1st at 7:30pm at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (LPAC). As a thank you for donating to this campaign, you can use code "ECSDANCE" to buy $10 tickets for the performance at www.lpac.nyc

What Your Funds Will Support

For this performance, Laura is raising $8000 to cover costs for out-of-town collaborators and urgent production expenses, tech staff, and equipment rental. Your funds will allow Entre Líneas to be produced on a larger scale with refined production quality and visual aesthetics.

Collaborators

Choreography/Dance by Laura Peralta and Isaac Tovar
Direction by Isaac Tovar
Composed by Raul Domínguez and Gori Mazo
Vocals by Francisco Orozco
Costumes by Pili Cordero, Ubaldo, and Gonzalez.
Graphic Design by Adriana Olivares
Lighting Design by Alejandro Fajardo

Meet Choreographer & Performer, Laura Peralta

Laura Peralta is a flamenco dancer, arts educator and native New Yorker with Afro-Dominican roots. She dances for companies including Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana, A Palo Seco Flamenco, Nelida Tirado Flamenco, Soledad Barrio y Noche Flamenca, Pasión y Arte, and Isaac Tovar Compañia Flamenca. She has performed throughout the US, working closely with celebrated artists at venues including Jacob’s Pillow, the Delacorte Theater, the Rockefeller Estate, Kaatsbaan Cultural Center, BAM Fisher Hall, the Joyce Theater and Lincoln Center. She studied piano and voice at the Manhattan School of Music, graduated from the Johns Hopkins University and was a scholarship recipient at the School at Jacob’s Pillow. Laura has taught masterclasses for Kaatsbaan Ballet Intensive and numerous university dance programs, and currently performs nationally and internationally. Her collaborative work was selected for the Queensborough Dance Festival, and she has received commissions from Flamenco Vivo for dance film “6hilos”, MNE’s Emerging Choreographer Series in 2021, and ECS 2024 as the returning choreographer. Peralta was mostly recently seen on the Metropolitan Opera stage. Follow Laura: @lauraepf

Meet Choreographer & Performer, Isaac Tovar

Isaac Tovar is an accomplished and sought after flamenco dancer and choreographer from Seville, Spain. He was a longtime soloist of the Ballet Nacional de España and the Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía, as well as Compañía Andaluza de Danza, Compañía Antonio "El Pipa", and Compañía Aída Gómez, among many other premier Spanish and international companies. Isaac was most recently the principal soloist at the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Ainadamar. Tovar choreographed and performed at Lincoln Center in NYC in a production of Bizet’s Carmen. He was then featured alongside Esperanza Fernandez and conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto in performances of the composer Falla's at the New World Symphony Orchestra in Miami. Isaac headlined the Festival Flamenco at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto in 2022. His first solo production “Añejo” debuted in Seville in 2018, and his second production “Generaciónes” premiered at the prestigious Teatro Real in Madrid in 2019. Tovar is the recipient of numerous important 1st prizes in dance and flamenco, and has worked alongside flamenco legends in iconic theaters around the world. Follow Isaac: @isaactovarg / isaactovar.com

Meet Composer, Raúl Domínguez

Raúl Domínguez is a percussionist and music producer born in Cádiz, Spain. Apart from having an album on the market (COMTEMPO), he has worked with all the great flamenco artists such as: Ballet Nacional de España, Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía, Eva la Yerbabuena, Israel Galván, Andrés Marín, Merche Esmeralda, Antonio Canales, Cristina Hoyos, Javier Latorre, Joaquin el Grilo, Isabel Bayón, Alejandro Granados and guitarist of the caliber of Manolo Sanlucar, José Antonio Rodríguez, Paco Jarana, and singers like Pelele and Enrique el Extremeño. He is currently involved in his second album and working with current artists such as Isaac Tovar, Mercedes de Córdoba, Irene Lozano, David Romero, Ivan Orellana and Gema Caballero. Follow Raúl: @botellarauldominquez

Meet Vocalist, Francisco Orozco

Francisco Orozco “Yiyi” is from an Andalusian family, born in Barcelona. He was trained by Flamenco singer and father– “Joselón de Jerez” in his Spanish peña named “Peña Fosforito”. Considered a child prodigy of percussion, Yiyi began his professional career at the age of twelve. Since that time he has performed nationally and internationally with “Flamenco Rubio”, “Compañia Flamenca Alhama”, María Benitez’ “Teatro Flamenco”, Domingo Ortega in Venezuela and “Casa Patas” in Madrid; Jose Greco II, and world-renowned guitarist Serranito. He has also performed with Nino de los Reyes, Alejandro Granados, Raquel Heredia (La Repompilla) , Jesús Carmona, María Serrano, La Tania, and Antonio Granjero. Critics worldwide have toted Yiyi’s performance as “fiery”, “riveting” his percussion techniques executed with “machine-gun speed” that possesses and “casts a spell”. Follow Francisco: @yiyi_francisco_orozco

Meet Lighting Designer, Alejandro Fajardo

Alejandro Fajardo is a Colombian lighting designer based in Lenapehoking/Brooklyn. Alejandro strongly believes that art, creativity, and imagination can help guide our communities through the current crises we face and build a new future that centers community care and growth. His work can be seen in a variety of industries including regional theater (Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, Two River Theatre Co, Trinity Rep, St. Ann’s Warehouse), opera (OMAR at Spoleto Festival, Bard Music Festival, The New School, Curtis Institute of Music), dance performances (Michiyaya Dance, Danspace Projects, Kafka Collective), performance festivals (NYC Free: a month-long performance festival at Little Island Park, Fall for Dance at NY City Center). Alejandro also designs escape rooms, theatrical immersive events, site lighting for music, fashion shows and other commercial events. Follow Alejandro: www.alejofaj.com

About CUNY Dance Initiative

Laura Peralta's residency and performance at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center is part of the CUNY Dance Initiative (CDI), which receives major support from The Mertz Gilmore Foundation and Howard Gilman Foundation. Additional support is provided by the SHS Foundation, Harkness Foundation for Dance, the National Endowment for the Arts, and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. CDI is spearheaded by The Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College. CDI Website: www.cuny.edu/danceinitiative

About Mare Nostrum Elements

Mare Nostrum Elements (MNE) is a non-profit arts organization based in Queens, NY. Each year, MNE produces the Emerging Choreographer Series (ECS), an intensive crash-course in self-producing; offering rehearsal space, compensation, career development consultations, and professional mentorship to selected choreographers.

In 2024, MNE took a new venture to deepen our support for the NYC dance community and uplift our Emerging Choreographer Series (ECS) alumni. ECS 2024 supported 6 alumni choreographers by pairing them with presenting venues and providing them resources to produce 30-45 minutes of work in a split bill format. Laura was part of this inaugural cohort and "Entre Líneas" was developed in part during ECS 2024.

Mare Nostrum Elements, Inc. is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) organization. All contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Entre Líneas by Laura Peralta

Presented by CUNY Dance Initiative & LaGuardia Performing Arts Center