Flamenco show part of center's mission to bring diverse artists to Cache Valley

When officials from the Cache Valley Center for the Arts learned that the Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana dance company would be touring the western United States, they were excited by the possibility of bringing something new to northern Utah.

“We’ve never had a whole show dedicated to this type of dance,” said Amanda Castillo, the center’s program director. “It’s new, interesting and something that hasn’t been in this area.”

And that, Castillo said, is exactly the kind of performance the center likes to bring to Logan. She said the center’s mission is to bring cultural enrichment to the people of the community.

“Our number one thing is not ticket sales, it’s finding a balance of arts appreciation,” Castillo said. “We’re here to bring in a mix of shows that will attract tourism as well as entertainment opportunities.”

The center has hosted the Golden Dragon Acrobats, a Chinese acrobat group, and Celtic Nights, a musical group from Ireland. It has also brought in prominent shows including “Stomp,” “Blast” and “Cats.”

According to Castillo, the center builds trust by bringing in groups that are well known. Then, when unfamiliar groups come, community members know they will enjoy a high-quality show.

“We try to include what people need to see as well as what they want to see,” Castillo said.

And from Rickie Warr’s perspective, the center did just that by bringing in Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana, which performed “La Pasión Flamenca” on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Ellen Eccles Theatre in Logan.

“It allowed me to see a different culture and how different it is from mine,” said Warr, who attended the Tuesday show.

The nearly 30-year-old New York dance company was one of the nation’s first to specialize in flamenco and other Spanish dances.

“I think it’s kind of cool that they bring it to small-town Logan,” Warr said.

The center also reaches out to students by offering a discounted price.

“It’s a great opportunity to reach out to the diversity in the schools,” said Andrea DeHaan, arts education coordinator for the Cache Valley Center for the Arts.

One of Flamenco Vivo’s performances, a matinee, included an opportunity for audience members to learn about the history of the flamenco dancing and costuming.

There was also a dance class available where attendees could learn some Spanish choreography.

“It was mainly dancers who came,” Castillo said. “They can take what they want out of it and take what they know from the show and apply it to their classes.”

Kyndall Peterson, Jill Dean, Lauren Handy, Cambria VandeMerwe, Heather Foster, Aaron Griffiths and Paige Sjoblom contributed to this report.