Yesterday, the BFA, of the Andalusian Ministry of Culture and Historical Heritage’s Agency of Cultural Institutions, performed several pieces from its last three productions at the Dubai Millenium Amphitheater, one of the great venues of the 2020 Dubai World’s Fair. The performance is part of Andalusia Week in the Spanish Pavilion, which is being held between the 7th and 13th of this month. The BFA will also offer three daily performances with fragments from different shows by the Andalusian public company.

Present at this first BFA show was the CEO of Andalucía Global, Rosario Alarcón and Carmen Bueno, Curator of the Spain Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. The production is choreographed by Úrsula López – artistic director of the company – with choreographic input from Rubén Olmo, director of the National Ballet of Spain, former director of the BFA and National Dance Award winner, and also features active contributions from the performers.

The show is the result of a combination of the BFA cast’s enthusiasm, knowledge and outstanding sensitivity, showing them to be professionals who are passionate about flamenco and who have a lot to say about this art form. As a result, the BFA naturally seeks freedom.

The BFA’s involvement at this event is made possible in collaboration with Cajasol. and they have also had wooden craft chairs from Olivo de Castro del Río (Córdoba), donated by their association of artisans. The shows in the Spanish Pavilion are being staged on a chessboard located at its entrance, and last 20 minutes. As for the schedule, on Monday 7, the day of the inauguration, they were from 5:30 PM to 5:50 PM, from 6:00 PM to 6:20 PM and from 6:30 PM to 6:50 PM, while for the remaining days, show times are 6:30 PM to 6:50 PM, 7:00 PM to 7:20 PM and 7:30 PM to 7:50 PM.

To celebrate the Day of Honor of Andalusia, Saturday the 12th, the BFA will put on a show to close out the day’s festivities, which will be overseen by the president of Andalusia, Juanma Moreno. That same day there will be two shows in the afternoon, at the usual location, from 6:30 PM to 6:50 PM and from 7:00 PM to 7:20 PM.

The BFA, formerly the Andalusian Dance Company, has been privileged to have had great choreographers such as Manolo Marín, Cristina Hoyos, Fernando Romero, Javier Latorre, Manuel Santiago, Mario Maya, Rafael Campallo, María Pagés, Javier Barón, Alejandro Granados, Eva Yerbabuena, José Antonio, Isabel Bayón, Antonio Gades and Rubén Olmo. It has also provided a talent pool, producing stars like Israel Galván, Isabel Bayón, Rafael Campallo, Belén Maya, Fernando Romero, Mercedes Ruiz, María José Franco, Juan José Jaén ‘El Junco’, Patricia Guerrero, Rafaela Carrasco, and others.                            

It is also the leading institutional representative of flamenco art, acting as an ambassador of flamenco since its creation in 1994, 25[SP1]  years ago. During this time, the BFA has provided the best means for opening new markets to flamenco, having performed on stages around the world and been part of the cultural agendas of countries like the United States, Argentina, Cuba, France, Italy, Hungary, Switzerland, Mexico, of international events such as the 2020 Dubai Expo and the Aichi Exhibition in Japan, and having participated in major festivals, including in New York and London.   

The shows performed over these years have taken the BFA to remote places, but also to Andalusian stages. The BFA has been present for seven seasons of the ‘Lorca and Granada in the Generalife Gardens’ series, with several productions based on works by the poet from Granada that would later go on to tour the leading venues in Spain and abroad.

Throughout its 25+ year history, the BFA has received applause from the public and critics alike, and received major awards such as the National Choreography Award for ‘El perro andaluz’ [The Andalusian Dog], directed by María Pages. Various choreographies by Cristina Hoyos have also won several Max Theater awards. Similarly, ‘Images. 20 years of BFA’ received the Giraldillo Award for Best Show at the 18th Bienal de Flamenco in Seville, and the dance troupe of the ballet also received a special Giraldillo from the public for ‘Tierra-Lorca. Cancionero popular’ [Tierra-Lorca. Popular songbook]. Recently, this event presented the BFA a Special Giraldillo Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Andalusia Week

From February 7 to Sunday 13, the Spanish Pavilion at the Dubai World Expo 2020 is hosting Andalusia Week, which was opened under the slogan «Andalusia, an intelligent future at Expo Dubai 2020». This series of activities showcases Andalusia’s potential as a leader in response to the challenges of a sustainable future, the main theme of Expo Dubai 2020, the world’s largest showcase of human advancement, where Andalusia is showing its approach to dealing with what is to come, complementing the best of its traditions with the latest innovations in research, technology and creativity to build a unique model of sustainable development.

Andalusia Week, which was organized by the Regional Government of Andalusia, is full of activities aimed at demonstrating the strengths of Andalusia in economic areas that offer important business opportunities in Middle Eastern markets, such as agri-food (through cuisine), consumer goods (through fashion), cultural industries (through flamenco), and its appeal as a world tourism destination.

The Day of Honor of Andalusia, the central event in this series of activities at Expo Dubai 2020, will be held on February 12 and will be led by Juanma Moreno, president of the Andalusian Government, as part of a full institutional and business agenda. The week will also feature other activities such as showcooking with key products of Andalusian cuisine and tastings of EVOO, shows by the Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía, fashion shows, thematic videos on strategic industries in the region, and an interactive tourism stand.

All the information on the schedule of activities during Andalusia Week at Expo Dubai 2020 is also available on the bilingual page created on the website of Extenda-Andalusia Trade and Foreign Investment (https://www.andaluciatrade.es/expo-dubai). This address will provide a virtual showcase of Andalusia’s presence at this universal event, with information on all matters related to the Expo, as well as the promotional videos created to highlight the advantages of Andalusia in different fields – sustainable development, industry, research, technology, business, agribusiness, fishing, etc. – as well as its connection with Arab culture through the shared history and culture of Al-Andalus.