Savannah Fuentes brings white-hot Flamenco to town

Seattle-based Flamenco dancer Savannah Fuentes will bring her latest show, “Pasajera, an Evening of Flamenco,” to Vashon at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 28, at the Ober Park performance studio.

Fuentes, whose dancing has been called “real Flamenco, straight up and stunning,” by Seattle critic Regina Hacket, will be joined onstage by Spanish-Romani guitarist Pedro Cortes and singer/percussionist/dancer Jose Moreno.

Born in Seattle to parents of Puerto Rican and Irish ancestry, Fuentes has strong links to Flamenco culture. She studies both baile (Flamenco dance) and cante (Flamenco singing) and has toured throughout the states of Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, Montana, Idaho and Arizona. She has independently produced over 250 performances and workshops featuring internationally recognized Flamenco artists such as Jose Anillo, Saray Munoz, Jesus Montoya and Juanarito. She attributes her formation as an artist to her most significant mentor, Maestra Sara de Luis.

Cortes comes from a family of Spanish Gypsy guitarists and began his studies with his father, the esteemed Flamenco guitarist Sabicas. Having toured professionally since the age of 17, he is gaining international recognition as a soloist and composer. He has premiered his work “En la oscuridad de las minas” at the Teatro Albeniz in Madrid, and also premiered work with the Carlota Santana Spanish Dance Company at the Joyce Theater in New York. He has written two books on Flamenco, “El Dron del Faraon” and “Cruzando el Charco,” published by the American Institute of Guitar, and played in venues including the St. Louis Opera and the New York Grand Opera. He is also the artistic director of his own Flamenco group.

Moreno was also born to parents of famous Flamenco artists, Estrella Morena, a dancer, and Pepe de Málaga, a singer. His own career began at an early age and has taken him on an international voyage that has included collaborations with many other renowned Flamenco stars and appearances on prestigious stages all over the world, including New York’s Carnegie Hall.

The trio’s performance of “Pasajera, an Evening of Flamenco,” will be the fourth stop on an 18-date West Coast tour that starts in Bellingham, Washington and ends in Hermosa Beach, California.

Tickets ranging in price from $8 to $20 are available at brownpapertickets.com/event/3897018.