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CHOREOGRAPHER, DANCER, DANCE INSTRUCTOR AND MOVEMENT CONSULTANT







Check PERFORMANCES! I wuold love to see you at any of my events..


I beleive in the power of individuals to create and transform their destiny
I am a woman of the world, I can fit in any culture
But if I hear a "Tambor".... I feel the call of Africa en mi sangre....


As an artist, I create myself everyday. My main inspirations are my daughters, Naima & Nayah.
My teachers: My children who patiently put up with a grownup.....All the other artists, my students and the inmates at the Broward Correctional Institute where I teach "Raices". They have taught me to appreciate many things I took for granted before.

My guides: My maestro, Arnaldo Paterson, Katherine Duham, Ghandi, Guido Gonzalez del Valle, Robert Reford, Salvador Dali, Caetano Veloso

GROUP PROJECTS

MOJITO ANDALUZ

Mojito Andaluz represents the richness and uniqueness of the cultural diversity of South Florida. We are a multicultural collective of dancers and musicians from South Florida presenting a unique dance and music project that combines two distinctively rich styles: the Flamenco and the Afro-Cuban. Mojito Andaluz combines the passion of the Flamenco guitar and the “taconeo” (footwork) with the fierce of the African percussion that is the root of the Afro-Cuban culture. Produced by the recognized Miami Company “Siempre Flamenco” and under the Artistic Direction of two of the most recognized individual artists in the South Florida dance scene, Flamenco artist Celia Fonta and Cuban choreographer Elena Garcia, this performance will keep you dancing in your seat.


All the music in this project is live and has been arranged by internationally acclaimed Flamenco artist Paco Fonta, and Cuban master drummers Ignacio Nunez and Michael Font. Co-Director and choreographer Celia Fonta and musician Paco Fonta have been promoting awareness and preservation of the art and traditions of Flamenco Music and Dance through the not-for-profit corporation they founded in 2002, “Siempre Flamenco, Inc”. Celia Fonta is a master of traditional flamenco music and dance who first began her studies of flamenco guitar in her home town of Chicago. Celia Fonta has been part of the Dance Faculty of several educational institutions including the Florida International University in Miami. Paco Fonta is a master of flamenco guitar and "cante jondo," or pure song flamenco. Born in a small town in Andalusia, the birthplace of all flamenco music, Paco learned the songs of flamenco at a young age from listening to his grandmother sing them.


Co-Director and choreographer Elena Garcia is an expert in Afro-Cuban and Caribbean dance. A former dancer with the prestigious ‘Conjunto Floklorico Nacional de Cuba’ , Ms. Garcia has dedicated her career to promote the Afro-Cuban culture through performances and educational programs. Through the company she directed for several years, Iroko Afro-Cuban dance & Theater, Ms. Garcia has presented numerous performances as well as educational outreach programs about the Cuban and Caribbean culture through the South Florida area. As a choreographer and master teacher, Elena Garcia has been invited to numerous Festivals through U.S. including the Florida Dance Festival and the Summer Multicultural Festival of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Company in Colorado. Ms. Garcia has served has been part of the Dance Department of the New World School of the Arts and the Florida International University.


Elena Garcia and Siempre Flamenco artists Celia and Paco Fonta have been mixing “palmas and taconeo” with Cuban rumba beats creating several fusion projects of Afro-Cuban and Flamenco since 1994. Mojito Andaluz also counts with the artistry of Grammy award winner of Cuban born percussionist and singer Ignacio Nunez, and the Afro-Cuban drumming expertise of Michael Font, recently arrived to the South Florida scene. Directly from Spain, dancer Jose Junco brings his phenomenal footwork and Spanish passion in dances such as the Tango Flamenco. Jamaican born dancer Phillip Eddie completes the cast. He amazes the audience with his exceptional representation of the Afro-Cuban “Shango” and his African rooted movements in the number “Encuentro”, (Encounter), a duet with Celia Fonta.

Mojito Andaluz was invited to be part of the Hispanic Month celebrations of the Global Education Center in Nashville, Tennessee last October where they also conducted workshops in both Afro-Cuban and Flamenco dance. Mojito Andaluz will definitely keep you “moving and shaking”… They expect you to join them and dance the night away in the never-ending “Conga line”.








EVERYBODY CONGA!

An educational, fun and interactive workshop where participants learn to play and dance the contagious Conga. The session has a history about this dance and its African roots. Participants learn the basic rhythm patterns and the basic steps of Conga. Following the learning of the basics, the participants choose to divide themselves into two groups: one group plays the percussion instruments while the other group learns a Conga dance choreography. Through the learning to play a specific pattern and to dance in coordination with the group, Everybody Conga! Explores team work and the importance of each individual in the collective. Everybody Conga! Is a fun way to achieve team work through different environments as well as different age groups.



A BAILAR!

A Tale about the Cuban culture told through music and dance...

The performance reflects how the Cuban culture blends elements from both the Spanish and the African cultures to form a unique mix that evolved into the Cuban identity. The program includes well known dances such as Rumba & Conga. At the end of the performance, the audience joins the ensemble in a big Conga line and learn some Conga steps. Duration: 30-40 minutes depending on the audience participation component at the end of the show.