Ricardo en el Parque
Friday, May 30 | 7:00 PM
Saturday, May 31 | 12:00 PM
Sunday, June 1 | 12:00 PM
Exhibition Park, 81 London Rd W
Inclement Weather Location: Quebec St Mall, 55 Wyndham St N
Photo above of Sofi Gudiño by Cody @himother_
ABOUT THE WORK
“Ricardo en el Parque” is a flamenco drag king extravaganza and a love letter to Latin masculinity. Inspired by flamboyant male birds of the tropics, he is a helpless flirt determined to show off his brightest feathers in the hopes of becoming your next crush. Originally built by a dream team of trans Latin artists and supported by the National Ballet of Canada’s Open Space programme, Ricardo first stepped on stage in Citadel + Compagnie’s Spring Mix as PAJAROJITO. In this special premiere for In The Park, Ricardo will be joined by the luminous Dominican-Canadian flamenco singer Ana Lía, and veteran flamenco guitarist Nicolás Hernández.
CHOREOGRAPHY
Sofi Gudiño
PERFORMERS
Sofi Gudiño, Ana Lía Arias Garrido, Nicolás Hernández
MUSIC
Ana Lía Arias Garrido, Nicolás Hernández
ABOUT THE CHOREOGRAPHER
Sofi Gudiño is a flamenco dancer, drag king and community organizer based in Toronto. Gudiño began flamenco studies as a child at the Academy of Spanish Dance with Esmeralda Enrique, and has since continued in Spain with Úrsula López, Alicia Márquez, Pastora Galván, Lorena Franco and many others. As a choreographer, Gudiño has enjoyed residencies at The Toronto Dance Theatre, Dancemakers, and the National Ballet of Canada’s Open Space. Sofi was nominated in the 2023 Johanna Performing Arts Prizes for their recognized impact on the field, and recently assumed the role of Festival Director at Dusk Dances.
ABOUT THE MUSICIANS
Ana Lía lights up a room. A Dominican-Canadian, her charming, vibrant performances deliver an unmistakable experience for every audience. The singular blend of pop and Latin rhythms and her bright, rich voice, makes her music enjoyable beyond language. In 2020, Ana Lía launched herself as a solo artist and has released multiple singles and her debut album, Cíclica.
With over 30 years of experience under his fingers, Nicolas Hernández’ style has evolved into a distinctive, modern “voice” in the flamenco genre. His debut CD “Buscando mi voz” won a Just Plain Folks Award for Best Flamenco Album in 2009 and his second CD “Rupakerias” was released in 2018. Nicolas was the musical director for the Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company for over 20 years and toured the world with the Jesse Cook band for 16 years.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Gracias to Ximena Huizi and Heath V Salazar for their tremendous contributions in creating Ricardo. And endless gratitude to all of the trans people and Latin men in my life for their tremendous contributions in creating me.