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19_V1_WAT_Aug31 Th ursday, August 31, 2017 • WATERLOO CHRONICLE • 19Serving your community since 1856 Sharing a passion for � amenco Fin de Fiesta Flamenco presents emotional new show Liándola at � e Registry By Bob Vrbanac Chronicle Sta� Fin de Fiesta Flamenco made its debut on the stage of � e Regis-try � eatre � ve years ago with a passionate performance of the tradi- tional Spanish art form that quickly swept up a sold-out audience. The flamenco ensemble makes their return visit to � e Registry � e- atre this Thursday, promising even more of an experience with a new album and time spent honing their craft in the streets of Seville, Spain. Seville is the epicentre of the art form, which can be found all over the world with famous Japanese � amenco dancers vying for the same attention as their Spanish counterparts. Fin de Fiesta Flamenco is no less international, featuring the vocals of Alejandro Mendia from France, accompanied by the famously intri- cate flamenco guitar work of music director Dennis Du� n from Canada and the haunting � ute of Lara Wong, also from the great white north. The rhythm section is held down by David Sampaulo from Italy who plays the cahon, while principle danc- er and artistic director Lia Grainger uses her feet as her instrument, inter- preting the music and bringing the whole production together. "We're super international," said Grainger. "We've been working really hard in Seville putting together a new show." The show is called Liándola, and it is the ensemble's fifth production since it was founded in 2012, and debuted on the Registry Theatre's stage. Grainger, a former journalist turned � amenco dancer, said it's a cel- ebration of the joy and mischievous- ness at the heart of � amenco. Liándola takes its name from a popular Andalusian � gure of speech used to describe boisterously unre- strained behaviour. It denotes a play- ful fearlessness that cannot be con- tained. It takes an ordinary experience and makes it extraordinary. Grainger said making the ordi- nary extraordinary is at the heart of their latest 30-city tour, drawn from the inspiration of southern Spain, the heartland of � amenco, which most of the band now calls home. "I've been there the last two years as had Dennis Du� n and our � autist (Wong)," said Grainger. "We all kind of relocated from Canada to there." The group refined their show in front of discerning audiences and in the small clubs that are central to the scene in Seville. Once crafted, Grainger said they wanted to take their new music and production on the road, re� ning their performance and tailoring it to the spaces they played. "That's kind of why I like to do a big tour because it takes time per- forming to � gure out what's good and what needs to change," said Grainger. "Often I find, especially with dance, because it's so hard to tour dance you have to do it a couple of times to get a chance to work through things and try things on di� erent audiences and in di� erent spaces." Grainger was calling from a tour stop in Sudbury last week after the group played with a great local fla- menco guitar player to add to their musical experience. Each show ends up being a little di� erent, working o� what the audi- ence gives back to the performers. Grainger said there is a lot of emo- tion expressed in � amenco music and dance, and the intensity is shared by the audience as much as the perform- ers. "We're having an awesome time and every performance gets better," said Grainger. "In Spain the spaces are often tiny because they are in a bar, but the space of a place really makes a di� erence because of the sound of the � oor and the wood." Sometimes that includes using special set-ups to get the right sound, including � oor microphones that pick up her dancing. "� e percussive footwork is such a big part of it," said Grainger. "Having that sound ampli� ed is really impor- tant." That's because in addition to the artistry of flamenco dancing, the dancer his or herself adds to the inten- sity and musicality of a piece building to a crescendo or taping out sad, soli- tary notes. "Percussion and rhythm are a huge part of � amenco," said Grainger. "� e clapping or palma, there's someone who just does that, whereas the singer, guitarist and dancer are all marking time as well. "� e rhythms are also really inter- esting. In North America, we're used to six-eight time, where you count out four, whereas a lot of � amenco is counted out in 12, and the empha- sized beats are really interesting. Because it's so complicated it leaves a lot of room for interesting improvisa- tion." � at's what appealed to Grainger when she took up � amenco dancing -- the way it can take over a performer and it becomes something instinctive versus rehearsed. "That really appeals to me," said Grainger. "I like the idea of being really alive and living my life really intensely and sharing that passion with other people. "Flamenco is a great way of doing that." For more information on the show, or for tickets, visit registrytheatre.com. ARTS FOCUS WATERLOO CHRONICLE Sharing a passion for � amenco WATERLOO CHRONICLE SUBMITTED PHOTO Fin de Fiesta Flamenco make their third visit to The Registry Theatre Aug. 31 with their new show Liándola as part of a 30-city tour that features work inspired by their time in Seville, Spain. 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