12 x 12: Elba Hevia y Vaca presented by Intercultural Journeys
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
7:00 PM-8:00 PM
Discover the world of the artist with Intercultural Journeys and the Leeway Foundation during 12x12, a performance series running on second Wednesdays from May through September.
It's a simple formula: 12 minutes of performance. 12 minutes of an exploration into an artist's practice. 12 minutes for the audience to ask questions. Take a 12 minute break. And begin again.
Passionate and determined, feminist flamenco artist Elba Hevia y Vaca dances with purpose: to challenge the male-centric, hyper-sexualized narrative of flamenco. Delight in Elba’s 21st-century interpretations, grounded in the richness of historical flamenco, as she explains and expands on her artistic practice.
About Elba Hevia y Vaca
Born in La Paz, Bolivia, Elba Hevia y Vaca began her study of classical Spanish dance at the age of five. She later studied and danced with master dancer Ana Martinez of the Ana Martinez Flamenco Dance Company in D.C., and danced with Washington’s Raquel Peña Spanish Dance Company, appearing as a soloist at various venues throughout the U.S. In Philadelphia she continued her study of modern dance, jazz, and contact improvisation from various Philadelphia artists.
In 2000, Hevia y Vaca founded Pasión y Arte (PyA) out of a strong and intensely personal conviction that highly-stylized traditional Spanish flamenco dance is a perfect vessel to empower women. These values have been reflected in her seven original, critically acclaimed works she has created for PyA, and in the numerous grants and fellowships awarded to Hevia y Vaca and PyA. Elba received the 2008 Art and Change Grant in 2008, and the Window of Opportunity Grant in 2004 from the Leeway Foundation.