Update on Madre: Premiere Dates and More!
It’s almost holiday season!
We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving — whether celebrating the tradition or simply embracing an everyday sense of gratitude.
Being part of an incredible flamenco community—both local and worldwide—is something we’re especially grateful for. With friends who share a love for this art form in so many corners of the world, we’re reminded of Ella Fitzgerald’s words: “The only thing better than singing is more singing—with friends!”
And now, we’re thrilled to share the latest update on Madre—with lots of great news!
Madre Premiere Dates
Thanks to the generous support of our community, we are bringing Madre to the stage on…(drumroll, please)…February 14 & 15, 2025, at the Silver Spring Black Box Theatre! Mark your calendars and save the dates!
While we initially planned for a fall opening, the only available date was November 9, which coincided with the Flamenco Festival at Gala Theatre in DC. With both Yiyi and guitarist Ricardo Marlow performing in this festival with Flamenco Aparicio, we chose to move the premiere to February—giving us the time and space to pour our energy into this new work.
We’re still in awe of how our friends and community showered us with their contributions - propelling us beyond our goal when we raised the funds for the show’s production in the spring. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making it possible to bring our vision to life.
During these times, it’s easy to feel disheartened when things seem to be crumbling around us. Yet we’re reminded of the power of community to create something beautiful.
A quick note to our co-producers: Did you catch our donor update with a breakdown of the production budget in mid-November? If not, check your spam folder or let us know — we want to make sure it reaches you! 💌
Support for the Creative Process
BIG NEWS: The Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) has awarded us a Creativity Grant to mount Madre! The grant supports our creative process, primarily the time and space needed at the studio to create the work and rehearse until the performances.
We’re immensely grateful to MSAC for this huge lift!
We’re equally thrilled to have a new studio home at Dance Exchange after losing our previous space at the Takoma Park Roda Studio, which closed in February 2023.
Artistic Director Cassie Meador and her team have opened their doors to flamenco for the first time, and it’s been a joy working in this wonderful environment. Special thanks also go to Natalia Monteleon and Arte Flamenco for offering us studio space in the interim!
Our next update will be more on our creative progress. Stay tuned!
For now, here’s a dose of the inspiration we absorbed in Sevilla this summer. Packed with classes and shows, it was so intense — and sometimes brutal — that Ela’s main concerns each day were, “Did I sleep enough, and did I eat enough?” — no pressure, LOL! These are all too familiar sensations when in Spain, swimming in art pouring from our maestros — and did they give!
One silver lining of premiering at a later date is that more of these fresh ideas are likely to seep into Madre as we digest all that we received.
Thank you for being on this journey with us and making it even more beautiful!
Before we go…
We thought we’d share a special memory with you. Here’s a photo of an old photo with Yiyi and his sister, Pili, performing somewhere in Germany, a long time ago! :D We got to enjoy some time off visiting Yiyi’s family in Barcelona this summer! It was amazing to spend time with Pili, their siblings, and nephews. Family and flamenco... a summer etched in our hearts ❤️❤️
