The frontiers of Spanish soul

Five years coming, and it’s still going strong. The 2006 New World Flamenco Festival kicks off tonight at the Irvine Barclay Theatre. More than 35 artists from Spain will perform in this year’s festival, which begins tonight and runs till Aug. 13. The theme this year is la frontera, which means the frontier.

“It has a double meaning,” said Doug Rankin, president of Irvine Barclay Theatre and producer of the festival. “The show is exploring the original Spanish frontiers, where flamenco came from, and it also means frontier in the sense of the future.”

He said the theme ties together the three featured dance and musical companies, which include Compania Juana Amaya, performing at 8 p.m. tonight and Saturday and at 6 p.m. Sunday; Sin Fronteras — Without Borders, performing at 8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday; and Compania Rafaela Carrasco, performing at 8 p.m. Aug. 11 and 12 and at 6 p.m. Aug. 13.

“Each of the three events is going to be different,” said Karen Hanlon, Irvine Barclay Theatre’s director of communications. “The first group this weekend performs really traditional, bare-your-soul kind of gypsy flamenco. There will be a lot of passion and fire. The show Wednesday and Tuesday night is an experiment, matching two award-winning dancers in the same genre. And, with Rafaela Carrasco, she has a traditional flamenco background but is also trained as a modern dancer, so it will be very contemporary.”

Though the festival is centered around traditional Spanish flamenco, one does not need to have a cultural background to enjoy the event.

“It’s all about emotion,” Hanlon said. “Even if you didn’t grow up with it, you can relate to it.”

And, being that it is a festival, guests can expect more than a few shows. Cafe Flamenco will be open an hour before and after each show for people to mingle, have some refreshments and enjoy live entertainment. Guitarist Jose Tanaka is one of the guest artists scheduled to perform.

“People can have a bite to eat and meet new friends,” Hanlon said. “It’s a community atmosphere instead of people just coming to a performance and leaving.”

Music and dance lessons will also be available through the festival. No experience is necessary.

“The workshops are always integral components of the show, and we offer them for educational purposes,” said Yaelisa, artistic director of the show. Yaelisa, a flamenco dancer, has taught some of the workshops and will star alongside Savion Glover in Sin Fronteras — Without Borders.

Tickets to the festival performances cost between $38 and $100 per night and are on sale now. For more information, call the Irvine Barclay Theatre at (949) 854-4646.

“It’s not quite Spain, but it’s as close to it as we can get,” Rankin said.