Auditorium Theatre 2019-2020 Ensemble Espanol

4 | ENSEMBLE ESPAÑOL SPANISH DANCE THEATER + CERQUA RIVERA DANCE THEATRE | OCTOBER 4, 2019 PROGRAM/ABOUT CERQUA RIVERA DANCE THEATRE Duende Gitana (Gyspy Soul) Dancer, Choreographer, and Costume Designer (2010): Irma Suárez Ruíz, Artistic Director Costume Production: Luz Creations Lighting Design: Elias Morales Flamenco Singer: Paco Fonta Percussionist: Javier Saume-Mazzei Triana Inspired by the province of Triana, located on the east bank of the Guadalquivir River in the city of Seville, Barrios sets this festive Flamenco Tangos finale in honor of the beloved Dame Libby Komaiko. “I dedicate this work to Dama Libby for her life’s love, mission, dedication, and devotion to all that is Spanish dance, music, art, and culture. Gracias, Dama Libby, with love and admiration.” — José Barrios Choreography (2019): José Barrios Costume Design: Irma Suárez Ruíz, José Barrios, and Dancers Lighting Design: Dustin Derry Dancers: Company Music: Paco Fonta, David Chiriboga, Patricia Ortega, Javier Saume-Mazzei, Zara Zaharieva ABOUT CERQUA RIVERA DANCE THEATRE Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre was founded in 1999 by Joe Cerqua, composer and musician; Wilfredo Rivera, choreographer and dancer; and Matt Lamb, painter. The founding mission — to fuse music, dance, and visual art to explore and celebrate contemporary American society — remains the company’s driving force today. Cerqua Rivera’s art grows from collaborations among composers and musicians, choreographers and dancers, and visual artists, where the art forms are combined in cohesive performance pieces. Their performances are theatrical and thoughtful, vivacious and exuberant. The company’s work is rooted in its founders’ vision of what art can do — gather people to contemplate factors that knit our community together and di¨erences that add strength and complexity to our society. Every year, Cerqua Rivera’s diverse collective of artists makes new multi-disciplinary performance pieces that combine dance, music, and visual art. Each piece is strongly rooted in a narrative crafted by a choreographer. The work is shaped and brought to life by a wide group of collaborators, including a composer, dancers, musicians, and others, ranging from costume and projection designers to poets and actors. As the company celebrates #CRDT20th in 2019 — its 20 th anniversary — they demonstrate the values that have shaped Cerqua Rivera over two decades: commitments to high artistic standards, to connecting deeply with audiences, and to reflecting and celebrating the diversity of its hometown of Chicago. ARTISTIC AND EXECUTIVE LEADERS JOE CERQUA (Cofounder and Composer) is an award-winning composer, producer, vocalist, and sound designer. Cerqua has composed and designed sound for over 300 productions, both nationally and internationally. He has created original music and done sound design for theatres and companies including Steppenwolf Theatre, Goodman Theatre, American Players Theater, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Asolo Theater, the Alliance, Mark Taper Forum, Geva Theater, Deaf West Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Skyline Opera, Cleveland Playhouse, Clarence Brown Theatre, Forward Theatre, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Shakespeare & Co., Actors Theatre of Louisville, the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, and Remy Bumppo Theatre Company. National tours include Sideman, American Buffalo, How I Learned to Drive, The Laramie Project, Broken Glass, and Master Class . Cerqua is the Composer in Residence for Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre and the Creative Director and Producer for the Music Department at Columbia College. Future projects include creating original music and sound designs for productions with the Milwaukee Chamber Theater, First Stage, American Players Theater, and Forward Theater.