September 19–22, 2019

This autobiographical one-woman performance work by Pasión y Arte artistic director Elba Hevia y Vaca explores her story as a Bolivian immigrant and mother. La Bolivianita delves into her almost lifelong journey with Flamenco and how that has continued to evolve as she ages. The piece will culminate in an interactive dialogue with the audience. Directed by world-renowned Flamenco artist Belen Maya. World Premiere.

Photo: Aidan Un

$20 / 55 minutes

Born in La Paz, Bolivia, Elba Hevia y Vaca began her study of classical Spanish dance at the age of five. She studied with great masters in Spain for over 20 years, and later joined the Ana Martinez Flamenco Dance Company and Raquel Peña Spanish Dance Company in Washington D.C., where she was a soloist. In Philadelphia, she continued her study of modern dance, jazz, and contact improvisation from various Philadelphia artists. In 2000, Hevia y Vaca founded Pasión y Arte out of a strong and intensely personal conviction that highly-stylized traditional Spanish Flamenco dance is a perfect vessel to empower women. These values have been reflected in the eight original, critically acclaimed works she has created for PyA, and in the numerous grants, fellowships, and accolades awarded to Hevia y Vaca and PyA under her direction. In addition, she was nominated for a prestigious Pew Fellowship in 2018. She conducts master classes throughout the US, has taught at local Philadelphia universities, teaches various levels of Flamenco at at her Overbrook Studio in West Philadelphia, and has been teaching at Franklin & Marshall as a Senior Adjunct for the last 20 years.

About Pasión y Arte

For more than a decade, Pasión y Arte (PyA), Philadelphia’s premier all-female contemporary flamenco dance company under the direction of Elba Hevia y Vaca, has been embracing artistic excellence in performance, education and community engagement focused on modern feminist flamenco. Deemed a world classic by The Philadelphia Inquirer, Pasión y Arte continues to strengthen flamenco’s legacy as a classical form while also expanding the trajectory of modern feminist flamenco through its conservatory classes, performances, and national tours. In eight original productions, and through its presentation of the 2012 and 2014 Philadelphia Flamenco Festivals, PyA empowers women through self-expression by embracing bold experimentation that challenges traditional flamenco gender stereotypes.

Learn More:
pasionyarteflamenco.org
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