Rueda

JAMIE WINTON started studying flamenco dance in 2006 with Dorothy Pfeiffer in Toronto. After moving to Victoria a couple of years later, he was amazed at the vibrant flamenco community that surrounded Alma de España and was delighted to continue his pursuit of baile with Veronica Maguire and Amity Skala, and studying guitar with Gareth Owen. Since then, Jamie has also studied dance in Granada (David Córdoba) and Jerez (Ángel Muñoz, Inmaculada Aguilar). It is the art of weaving together the cante, guitar, rhythms and dance that attracts Jamie to flamenco – the very same elements that make it equally exhilarating and challenging.

To see Jamie perform on May 9, gotothecoda.com/show/rueda_flamenco_9may26

TONYA WINTON began dancing flamenco in 1998, learning from Paula Moreno and Dorothy Pfeiffer in Toronto. Upon moving to Victoria in 2008, she was thrilled to join the Alma de España community with Veronica Maguire, Gareth Owen, and the late Harry Owen. She draws inspiration from her trips to Spain, working with Mercedes Ruiz, Domingo Ortega, Maria Bermudez, Isabel Bayon, David Córdoba and Ángel Muñoz. She also gains inspiration from her work with local artists in the group Rueda, and other collaborations. The creative expression of a wide spectrum of emotions through dance, cante and guitar, is what makes flamenco such a passion for Tonya.

To see Tonya perform on May 9, gotothecoda.com/show/rueda_flamenco_9may26

Drawn to the raw emotions expressed in flamenco, MARY STORZER has been studying flamenco since 1997. During that time, she has had the good fortune to learn from many incredible artists from North America and Spain, including Coral de Los Reyes, Ezequiel Benitez, Veronica Maguire, Angel Munoz, Oscar Nieto, Domingo Ortega, and Harry Owen. She has performed numerous times in the Victoria Flamenco Festival and around town, most often with her fellow flamencos of Rueda.

To see Mary perform on May 9, gotothecoda.com/show/rueda_flamenco_9may26

Sarah Phillips - A lifelong dancer, Sarah’s love of dance began with ballet lessons at the age of four. Later, she joined Asmira Dance Theatre and then performed Egyptian belly dance as a soloist in Canada and Japan. She then began training in flamenco dance in Victoria in 1997. She is grateful to her flamenco teachers: Kathryn “Farideh” Balk, Veronica Maguire, Harry Owen, Oscar Nieto, Maria Bermudez, Domingo Ortega, Maria del Mar Moreno and Manuela Carpio. She has performed with Alma de Espana and guest international artists, Victoria Flamenco Festivals as well as solo performances. Sarah is honoured to be part of the creative and collaborative dance community of Rueda.

To see Sarah perform on May 9, gotothecoda.com/show/rueda_flamenco_9may26

GWYNETH MCINTOSH – Since beginning Flamenco with Alma de Espana in 2000, Gwyneth McIntosh has studied both dance and cante (singing) with artists including Veronica Maguire, Harry Owen, Oscar Nieto, Domingo Ortega, Maria Bermudez, Vicente Griego, and Rafaela Carrasco. The process of intimate and intense artistic collaboration pulls Gwyneth to flamenco. Every moment is an opportunity to express and create something deeply soulful and dynamic, but it takes the sensitivity, knowledge, and passion of each participant to make those moments come alive.

To see Gwyneth perform on May 9, click link in bio for tickets.

Jake Lee “Chinito” began training as a guitar accompanist for flamenco dancers in 1997 under Harry Owen and Veronica Maguire. Drawing influence from both traditional and modern sources, Jake has been a frequent collaborator with many BC artists including Rueda, Monique Salez, the Kasandra Flamenco Ensemble, Alma de España, Peña Flamenca, LaLuna Flamenco and Mozaico Flamenco. Performing regularly in Victoria and Vancouver, he has been a participant in the Victoria Flamenco Festival since 2013, and has performed in the 2015 and 2018 editions of the Vancouver International Flamenco Festival. In 2024, Jake performed in Calgary with Fiona Malena, Anastassia LaMusa and Annette Morcos. In addition to playing flamenco guitar, Jake is becoming known as singer and was featured in “The Letter”, a flamenco video presented at the Victoria Flamenco Festival 2022.

To hear Jake perform on May 9 and to support his travel to Spain to further his flamenco studies, gotothecoda.com/show/rueda_flamenco_9may26

Carolyn Crampton was born and raised in Victoria and studied dance there as a child. She stopped dancing as a young adult and did not feel complete. Surprisingly and happily she found the opportunity to study flamenco at age 29 at the school of Veronica Maguire and Harry Owen. She fell in love with the music and found that flamenco dancing fed her soul and formed a means of self expression. Since then, it has been a necessary part of her life. Over many years she has performed with Alma de Espana and Rueda at local events and has taken courses in Spain from many world renowned artists. She prefers flamenco in its traditional form performed as a cuadro where the ensemble of song, dance, guitar and palmas creates dynamic and original work. She retired from her day job of 35 years working in health care and hopes to share her love of flamenco for many more years to come.

To see Carolyn perform on May 9, gotothecoda.com/show/rueda_flamenco_9may26

Jan Bate “Juana” first heard live flamenco in 1999, and since that time she has fallen hard for this art form. Enchanted with the poetry, rhythms and melodies, Juana has studied cante in Tofino, Victoria, Havana, Albuquerque, Jerez and Seville. She has studied with many teachers including Veronica Maguire and the late Harry Owen, Gareth Owen, Manuel Romero, Juana la Tobala, Vicente Griego, Oscar Nieto, Luis de Pacote, Paco Peña Gasolina Hijo, Miguel Rosendo, Ezequiel Benitez, and Coral de los Reyes. Juana is grateful to her fellow flamencos on Vancouver Island, for it is only through the many hours of practice that the art of flamenco reveals itself. Juana has performed with Rueda, Alma de España, Peña Flamenca, Flamenkitas, and Flamenco de la Costa. She passionately produced the Victoria Flamenco Festival from 2012-2018 and recently rejoined the Board of the Flamenco de la Isla Society to support the production of ongoing flamenco events on the island.

To see Juana perform on May 9,
https://gotothecoda.com/show/rueda_flamenco_9may26

Rueda, a Victoria BC based, collaborative Flamenco ensemble, invites you to a show on Saturday May 9 at The Coda. Help us raise funds for our guitarist and singer Jake Lee to study in Spain.