Members of the community are invited to take part in Spanish and flamenco dance classes and a special dance program being offered at SUNY Fredonia between Nov. 8 and 12 by visiting artists Paco Antonio and Lucilene de Gues.
The events are sponsored by the Department of Theatre and Dance, the Fredonia Dance Ensemble, the Orchesis student dance group and a Faculty Student Association program grant. This series of special classes is free and open to the public.
While on campus, Antonio and de Gues will be teaching two pieces of choreography to members of the Fredonia Dance Ensemble and will be offering classes and lectures open to all students and community members.
The schedule is as follows:
- Classical Spanish Dance Class, Monday, Nov. 8 from 5 to 6:30 p.m., dance studio, 148 Dods Hall.
- Basic Flamenco Dance Class, Friday, Nov. 12 from 4 to 5:30 p.m., dance studio, 148 Dods Hall.
- Program featuring dances choreographed for the Fredonia Dance Ensemble, followed by a question and answer session with Antonio and de Gues. Friday, Nov. 12 from 5:30 to 6 p.m., dance studio, 148 Dods Hall. These are dances that will be presented as part of the Fredonia Dance Ensemble concert in April.
A native of Brazil, de Geus has performed major roles with numerous ballet and Spanish dance companies throughout the U.S. Before adopting Flamenco, she had an extensive ballet career, teaching and performing internationally. She resides in Las Cruces, N.M., where she teaches dance at Alma d’Arte Charter High School and is on the dance faculty at New Mexico State University.
Antonio was a member of the dance faculty at the University of New Mexico from 1986 to1998. He lived and studied dance in Spain and has belonged to several prominent Flamenco dance companies during an extensive international career. He recently completed his master’s degree at New Mexico State University, where he is currently a full-time faculty member and director of Sol y Arena, the dance program’s performing ensemble for Flamenco and Spanish dance.
Dods Hall is located on Varsity Drive, across from Mason Hall and Rockefeller Arts Center.
