Spanish Dancer Clarita Blends Her Classical Dance Skills With Music Of Allegro

Allegro Baroque and Beyond is headed for the “beyond” for Friday’s concert. This is not to say the group it is leaving its historic music specialty behind. Allegro is doing both.

Clarita, a dancer fluent in Spanish styles from fandango to flamenco, will join Allegro’s players for an evening of Spanish classical dance. The stress is on classical there will be fandango but not flamenco. There is a distinction we will clear up in a moment.

Clarita began her dance career when she was 6. She studied in the United States with the leading proponents of Spanish and flamenco dance, including Jose Greco, Jose Molina, Luisa Triana, and Dolores and Jose Fernandez. She then went to Spain to continue to master the art of Spanish classical, regional and flamenco dance in Madrid and Seville.

Clarita has performed extensively in Spain, including feature performances at El Arenal and El Meson, both prestigious tablaos, or flamenco clubs. In 1989, she returned to the United States to create the Arte Flamenco Dance Theatre, a company of 15 dancers, singers and musicians.

In the fall, she opened a new studio outside Los Angeles, and from this base, she teaches dance and tours nationally with Arte Flamenco. The company is developing a program called “Fuego y gracia” (Fire and Grace), which traces the roots of flamenco from northern India as it traveled with Gypsies.

While it is impossible to talk about Clarita without mentioning flamenco because that is a big part of what she is famous for, her presentation at Allegro’s concert will not include flamenco. The focus will be on classical Escuela Bolera styles, the school of Spanish dance descended from the royal courts.

The distinction is that flamenco includes lots of heel work and raw energy, while the Escuela dances channel that energy into sophisticated movements with more upper-body motion. This brings them more in line with European court dances, but they still retain unique and distinguishing Spanish elements.

In an interview this week, Clarita described the differences. “Two of the dances I will perform, the Panaderos and Con el Vito, are actual originals from the school,” she said. “These are very traditional. The fandango has evolved somewhat over the years, but is also derived from court dance.”

Elegant was the word Clarita used to describe all of the Escuela dances. “Everything about them is elegant. There is elegant costuming - horribly ornate and beautiful,” she said. “The dances have an upper-class mentality about them. Most dances are done as couples - I will do them alone on Friday - in a disciplined and reserved style. Everything always returns to elegance.”

Allegro’s musical selections are from Spanish composers, of course. Antonio Soler’s “Fandango” as well as a couple of his sonatas and a Double Concerto for two keyboards, to be played on harpsichord and marimba - an interesting combination - will be on the program.

Another “Fandango” by Luigi Boccherini will also be performed in a transcription for oboe, cello, marimba and harpsichord. Joining Allegro music directors Beverly Biggs and David Dutton will be cellist Cheryl Carney and percussionist Martin Zyskowski.

This sidebar appeared with the story: ON STAGE Allegro’s `Fandango’

When and where: Friday at 8 p.m. at The Met

Tickets: from $8 to $18, available at G&B Select-a-Seat outlets, by phone at (800) 325-SEAT or online at www.ticketswest.com; $5 student (with ID) rush tickets will be sold at the door on a space-available basis.