About Velada:
Formed in 2004, Velada Flamenco is a collective of four distinctive dancers, who are inspired by an undeniable passion for flamenco. They are Roshanne Wijeyeratne, Yasmine Nicholls, Holly Markwell and Amelia Barnes. They have trained individually for many years both here and in Spain with some of the best flamenco teachers available.
Their contemporary flamenco style has been significantly influenced by their involvement in a variety of pursuits including physical theatre, ballet, creative writing, percussion, and Sri Lankan dance. Velada Flamenco re-imagine and re-interpret flamenco for contemporary Australian audiences.
They are proud to have collaborated with other local artists including percussionist Adrian van Nunen, guitartists Aloysius Leeson and Florian, pianist/composer Paul Hilton, actor/director Alirio Zavarce, and singers Cristina Fernandez and Mari Olivares.
Biographies:
ROSHANNE WIJEYERATNE (choreographer/dancer)
Recent performance history:
Velada Flamenco
Supermegafashion! (throughout 2006) at Higher Ground Inc
Adelaide Fringe Festival, Fringe Club (2006) at Higher Ground Inc
Sincopa (2005)
Darwin Guitar Festival (2005)
Primavera (2004)
Adelaide Fringe Festival, Fringe Club (2004) at Higher Ground Inc
La Carboneria (Seville, Spain) (2003)
Teatro del Mundo
Universal Playground (2004) Adelaide Festival of Arts
La Guerra (2004) Adelaide Fringe Festival
Bellingen Flamenco Festival, NSW (2003)
Gypsy Bazaar (2002) SALA
Inspiracion (2002) at The Space
World Dance Theatre WOMADelaide (2002)
World Dance Theatre Adelaide Cabaret Festival (2002)
World Dance Theatre, Cuban Gypsy (2001) Madley Dance Space
Trained in various dance forms including tap, jazz ballet, classical ballet, ballroom, Indian, Sri Lankan, and Pahan (candle) dancing, she began studying flamenco 10 years ago with Liana Vargas, whom she subsequently taught for from 1998 to 2004. Roshanne has undergone intensive professional training in flamenco dance in Spain and has so far been instructed by some of the biggest names in flamenco including Manuela Carrasco, Juana Amaya, Soraya Clavijo, and El Torombo. Most recently she returned in March 2006 from a period of intensive professional development with Manuel Betanzo, Juana Amaya, Pastora Galvan, and Pilar Ortega.
After being scouted by iconic flamenco venue `La Carboneria' in Seville, Roshanne had the opportunity to perform as a soloist in their flamenco tablao. She has performed and conducted workshops throughout Australia and continues to give regular classes, workshops and private tuition in Unley (since 2003). She makes regular trips to NSW to teach and conduct workshops. Roshanne feels privileged to have taught class in Seville for Juana Amaya, in her absence.
YASMINE NICHOLLS (artistic director/writer/choreographer/dancer)
Recent performance history:
Velada Flamenco
Supermegafashion! (throughout 2006) at Higher Ground Inc
Adelaide Fringe Festival (2006) Fringe Club at Higher Ground Inc
Sincopa (2005),
Primavera (2004)
Adelaide Fringe Festival (2004) Fringe Club at Higher Ground Inc
Teatro del Mundo
Universal Playground (2004) Adelaide Festival of Arts
La Guerra (2004) Adelaide Fringe Festival
Lorca - The Dark Sonnets (2003) Feast Festival
Bellingen Flamenco Festival, NSW (2003)
Gypsy Bazaar (2003 and 2002) SALA,
Inspiracion (2002) at The Space
Yasmine has studied with flamenco artists from around, the world including Ana Otero, Soledad Barrio (Noche Flamenca), Pol Vasquez (Ballet National de Espana), Belen Fernandez, Antonio Vargas, Diana Reyes, and Ramon Martinez (Paco Pena Company), and locally with Liana Vargas.
A published writer, Yasmine's play `Thanatos', for which she was named runner-up in the State Theatre Young Guns Playwright Award, was produced by the State Theatre Company of South Australia during the Come Out Festival 2001. More recently she has had work published in Wet Ink (2006) and Voiceworks (2003). In 2005 she was awarded a First Class Honours degree in Creative Writing from The University of Adelaide and has now received a PhD scholarship to research Creative Writing at Flinders University.
HOLLY MARKWELL (dancer/performance coordinator)
Recent performance history:
Velada Flamenco
Supermegafashion! (throughout 2006) at Higher Ground Inc
Adelaide Fringe Festival (2006) Fringe Club at Higher Ground Inc
Sincopa (2005)
Primavera (2004)
Adelaide Fringe Festival (2004) Fringe Club at Higher Ground Inc
Teatro del Mundo
La Guerra (2004) Adelaide Fringe Festival
Lorca - The Dark Sonnets (2003) Feast Festival
Bellingen Flamenco Festival, NSW (2003)
Gypsy Bazaar (2003 and 2002) SALA,
Inspiracion (2002) at The Space
Having initially studied classical ballet, Holly has been performing in flamenco shows since 1994. She travelled to Spain in 2004 and studied with Ramon Martinez (Paco Pefia Company), El Torombo, Soraya Clavijo, and Alicia Marquez. In Australia, she has studied with many international artists including Belen Fernandez, Pol Vasquez (Ballet Nacional de Espana), and locally with Marina Tomayo, Liana Vargas, Diana Reyes, and Antonio Vargas.
AMELIA BARNES (dancer)
Recent performance history:
Velada Flamenco
Supermegafashion! (throughout 2006) at Higher Ground Inc
Adelaide Fringe Festival (2006) Fringe Club at Higher Ground Inc
Sincopa (2005)
Primavera (2004)
Adelaide Fringe Festival (2004) Fringe Club at Higher Ground Inc
Teatro del Mundo
La Guerra (2004) Adelaide Fringe Festival
Lorca - The Dark Sonnets (2003) Feast Festival
Bellingen Flamenco Festival, NSW (2003)
Gypsy Bazaar (2003 and 2002) SALA,
Inspiracion (2002) at The Space,
Previous performance experience was gained over a period of four years in Europe, where she performed as an accomplished stilt-walker with Berlin based street theatre company 'Grotest Maru'. She co-founded physical-theatre company Laboratorium 33', for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Ameba has studied under acclaimed flamenco artists both here and overseas including Pol Vasquez (Ballet Nacional de Espana), Johnny Tedesco, Marina Tomayo, Belen Fernandez, Liana Vargas and Antonio Vargas.
Alirio Zavarce - Actor
Alirio Zavarce was born in Caracas, Venezuela and migrated to Australia in 1992. He graduated from the Flinders University Drama Centre in 2000. In the same year he worked with the Yaschin Ensemble in Intimacy and with Brink productions in Howard Barker's The Ecstatic Bible for the Adelaide Festival 2000.
In 2001 Alirio performed the one man show Fronteras AmericanaslAmerican Borders for which Alirio won the Adelaide Critic Circle Emerging Artist Award and opened the International Festival of Monologues Migrating Souls in Singapore. Alirio is a member of the Border Project and 2002 performed in Medea Material as well as in Tangent production's Edward II.
In 2003, Alirio toured Fronteras Americanas as part of Kultour 03. (Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth). In 2004 Alirio performed Please Go Hop! in the Adelaide Fringe and Next Wave Festival, played the role of Vince in the Feature film Life Story and performed the role of Talthybius in State Theatre's Trojan Women. As a director, Alirio has worked with the Nexus Multicultural Art Centre, Urban Myth, No Strings Attached, D' faces of Youth Arts and the Flinders University of South Australia.
In the 2006 Adelaide Fringe Festival Alirio performed again with Border Project in their production Highway Rock `n' Roll Disaster.
PAUL HILTON (musician/composer)
Paul Hilton began playing flute at age seven. At twelve he also began studying pipe-organ with David Gallasch, and took up trumpet at fourteen. He completed two music subjects at Matric level, majoring in flute. During this time, Paul began having drum lessons, an instrument he had played for most of his life, and was involved with two bands, playing thrashmetal and indie-rock.
In 1992, after a year's break, he returned to study classical flute at the Flinders Street School of Music, and jazz flute at Dover Gardens TAFE. Under Alison Rosser he earned his Advanced Diploma of Music, and Licentiate Music Australia in 1996 on the flute.
To his impressive knowledge of musical styles Paul added flamenco, playing piano and flamenco flute, for Veronica Vargas, Titi de Algeciras, Teatro del Mundo, and Velada Flamenco. He has performed with these companies in the 1997, 2004, and 2006 Adelaide Fringe Festivals, as well as the 2004 Telstra Adelaide Festival and the 2002 Feast Festival.
Paul won the senior section of the South Australian Young Composers Award 1998, with the piano piece, `Desire To Sleep'. In 2001 he began piano lessons with Monika Laczofy, earning his Licentiate Music Australia again in 2003, this time for piano. He was awarded the 2004 Iris Colley Prize for a Piano and Violin Sonata. In 2005, Paul received his Bachelor of Music (Performance) in piano from the Conservatorium of Music, University of Adelaide. He is continuing his studies at the Conservatorium, working towards his Honours in Music (Performance). In 2006 he performed Bloch's Concerto Grosso with the Elder Conservatorium Chamber Orchestra.
Paul has also taught music for many years, and is currently teaching piano, flute and trumpet.
ADRIAN VAN NUNEN (percussionist/graphic designer)
Recent performance history:
Velada Flamenco:
Supermegafashion! (throughout 2006) at Higher Ground Fringe Club (2006)
Sincopa (2005)
Primavera (2004), Adelaide Fringe Festival,
Teatro del Mundo:
La Guerra (2004) Adelaide Fringe Festival
Lorca - The Dark Sonnets (2003)
Bellingen Flamenco Festival, NSW (2003)
Gypsy Bazaar (2003 and 2002) SALA
Inspiracion (2002) at The Space
Adrian has been playing cajon for various local groups for over 5 years and in 2006 performed with Studio Flamenco at WOMADelaide. He has also played cajon, tinaja, and derbouka on Aloysius Leeson’s CD, Chispa Flamenca, which was released in 2005. His training was gained both in Australia and in Spain.
CRISTINA FERNANDEZ (singer)
Cristina has been exploring her Spanish gypsy roots for many years studying flamenco dance with many local and international artists, including Antonio Vargas and Belen Fernandez and flamenco singing, with Vincenzo Adreacchio of ‘Aire Flamenco’ and Mari Olivares.She has performed as a dancer/singer for Teatro del Mundo in Gypsy Bazaar (SALA Festival 2002), Inspiracion (Space Theatre 2002) and various other venues and events locally and in Northern NSW.As a flamenco singer, Cristina has performed with, Studio Flamenco at ‘Fiesta’ 2006, Ceduna Oysterfest 2006, WOMADelaide 2006, ‘El Rocio Spanish Festival’ 2006, ‘Flamenco at Fad bar’, 2006, ‘Peace Day’2005, Tablao Flamenco 2005, ‘Fiesta 2005’, and with Velada Flamenco in ‘Sincopa’ 2005.