Noche Flamenca's ANTIGONA Returning to New York in December

Following a critically acclaimed run this summer, Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca's Antigona will return to New York for a six week engagement, December 11-January 23. This visually arresting adaptation of Sophocles' Antigone, which originally opened on July 21, was declared a New York Times Critics' Pick by Laura Collins-Hughes, who wrote that "a haunting, distant classicism coexists with sweaty, unmediated corporeality in this dance drama." In The Village Voice, Miriam Felton-Dansky called it "raucously eloquent," while Apollinaire Scherr in the Financial Times wrote that Noche Flamenca "has created a powerful marriage of Greek tragedy and flamenco." The New Yorker's Joan Acocella declared: "Never, until I saw Santangelo's ensemble, their heels stamping, their arms cutting through the air, had I seen a chorus whose physical force could support the fate-heavy songs that Sophocles wrote for his plays."

Noche Flamenca's dance drama Antigona merges spoken text, live music, theatrical spectacle, and dance to create a production that propels the classic Greek play to new heights. The company brings the inherent theatricality of Flamenco to bear on this classical tragedy, reigniting the theatrical potential of the Greek chorus as the lyrical and rhythmic heart of the drama.

Adapted and directed by Noche Flamenca Artistic Director Martín Santangelo from an English translation by Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald, Antigona features a cast of 14 performers and four musicians, who in a quick-paced 15 scenes, bring forth a full-bodied level of catharsis not often seen in more traditional adaptations. Lee Breuer, founding co-artistic director of Mabou Mines, serves as consulting director.

Soledad Barrio, Noche Flamenca's celebrated lead dancer and choreographer, brings her exquisite artistry to the role of Antigone, the classical Greek heroine. Daughter of Oedipus and sister of the shunned Polyneices, Antigone follows her heart and defies Creon by burying her brother. Sentenced to death, Antigone then kills herself.

Noche Flamenca was founded in 1993 by Artistic Director Martín Santangelo and his Bessie award-winning wife, Soledad Barrio and is recognized today as one of the world's leading flamenco touring companies. Noche has been hailed for its authentic performances of one of the world's most complex and mysterious art forms. The company performs to live music, propelling the dancers to an incredible height of drama that "goes straight for the expressive tension that seems to be at flamenco's very heart" (The New York Times)

Performances of Antigona will take place December 11-January 23 (see schedule above) at the West Park Presbyterian Church, located at 165 W 86th Street in Manhattan. Tickets, which are $25-$60, are available at nocheflamenca.com or by calling 212.352.3101. The running time is 90 minutes with no intermission. Antigona is performed in Spanish with English surtitles.

The cast of eight dancers, three singers and four musicians is led by Soledad Barrio as Antigone, Juan Ogalla as Haemon, Manuel Gago as Creon, Pepe el Bocadillo as Tiresias, Emilio Florido as the Master of Ceremonies and Marina Scanell as Ismene. Live musicians include Eugenio Iglesias (guitar), Salva de Maria (guitar), David Rodriguez (percussion) and Hamed Traore (electric guitar & bass).

The creative team includes S. Benjamin Farrar (lights), Soledad Barrio (costumes) and Sydney Moffat (mask artisan).

About the Artists

Martín Santangelo (Artistic Director) founded Noche Flamenca in 1993. He studied with Ciro, Paco Romero, El Guito, Manolete and Alejandro Granados, and performed throughout Spain, Japan and North and South America, appearing with Maria Benitez's Teatro Flamenco, the Lincoln Center Festival of the Arts and Paco Romero's Ballet Espanol. Santangelo appeared in Julie Taymor's Juan Darien at Lincoln Center, choreographed and performed in Eduardo Machado's Deep Song, directed by Lynne Taylor- Corbett, choreographed a production of Romeo and Juliet at the Denver Theater Center, and directed and choreographed Bodas de Sangre, The Lower Depths, La Celestina, A Streetcar Named Desire, amongst many other productions in Spain and Buenos Aires. He has collaborated with many, many artists, but his most fulfilling collaboration has been with his wife, Soledad Barrio and their two wild daughters, Gabriela and Stella.

Soledad Barrio (Choreographer & Dancer) was born in Madrid. She has appeared as soloist with Manuela Vargas, Blanca del Rey, Luisillo, El Guito, Manolete, Cristobal Reyes and El Toleo, Ballet Espanol de Paco Romero, Festival Flamenco and many other companies. She has performed throughout Europe, Japan and North and South America with such artists as Alejandro Granados, El Torombo, Isabel Bayón, Jesus Torres, Miguel Perez, Belen Maya, Manolo Marin, Javier Barón, Merce Esmeralda, Rafael Campallo, Belen Maya, etc. She has won awards from over 15 different countries around the globe for her excellence in dance. She recently received a "Bessie" award for Outstanding Creative Achievement. She is a founding member of Noche Flamenca and is married to Martín Santangelo. They have two beautiful daughters, Gabriela and Stella.

About Noche Flamenca

Under the direction of Martín Santangelo, the award-winning Noche Flamenca has become one of the world's most successful touring companies. Formed in 1993 by Santangelo and his Bessie award-winning wife, Soledad Barrio, the company performs regularly in New York City and tours worldwide, including Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Egypt and throughout Europe, North America, Australia and Canada.

Hailed by critics everywhere for its transcendent and deeply emotional performances, Noche Flamenca is recognized as the most authentic flamenco touring company in the field today, expressing the rigorous, spell-binding aesthetic of flamenco that exceeds the highest artistic expectations. Santangelo has successfully brought to the stage the essence, purity, and integrity of one of the world's most complex and mysterious art forms. All aspects of flamenco-dance, song, and music-are interrelated and given equal weight creating a true communal spirit within the company: the very heart and soul of flamenco.

In support of its mission to educate and enlighten audiences about flamenco, in addition to its performance repertory, the company offers extensive residency programs that reach out to people of all ages.

Noche Flamenca's achievements have been recognized with awards from the National Dance Project, the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Arts Council, the MAP Fund and the Lucille Lortel Award for Special Theatrical Experience, among others.