JAVIER BARÓN

Barón was born near the City of Sevilla, a region known as much for its farming as for being a center of music and dance. He began his career working with Lusillo, Rafael from Cordoba, Ciro, and Rafael Aguilar. In 1981, he joined the famed National Ballet of Spain. He is quickly awarded the Gente Joven de RTVE (Young People of Spanish Radio-Television), and over the years participates in different projects with prominent artists, such as Carmen Linares and Gerardo Nuñez.

In 1998, Barón starts his own company and, with Ramón Oller’s special participation, he presents the highly successful production, El Pajaro Negro (The Black Bird) at Sevilla’s Central Theater. He followed this initial success with a series of productions that have earned him a preeminent place in the world of flamenco. Throughout his career Barón has consistently balanced elegance, masculinity and natural, earthy movements - signature performance qualities that have taken him around the world with resounding success.

Barón’s latest production, Dos Voces Para Un Baile (Two Voices for a Dance) brings together two voices that represent two distinct periods in his artistic journey. “There is no pretext, no story to tell; just singing, dancing, and playing the guitar. In the past there wasn’t any percussion - clappers at the most. And I felt like getting back to that simplicity.”

JAVIER PATINO

Javier Patino began his guitar studies at the early age of 11 under the direction of José Luis Balao and Manuel El Carbonero. He continued his studies with Manolo Sanlucar and Gerardo Nuñez, with whom he has collaborated on numerous occasions. His artistic career has grown with his participation in productions with artists, Javier Baron, Carmen Cortes, Manuela Carrasco, José Merce, Joaquin Grilo, Jose Antonio and Beatriz Martin. He has composed many flamenco shows, such as “Baile de Hierro, Baile de Bronce” (2000), “Dime” (2002), “Notas al pie” (2004), “Dos Voces Para Un Baile” (2007), and “Meridiana” (2007) for Ballet Flamenco Javier Baron, and A Fuego Lento (2007) for Andres Peña. As a soloist he has taken part in many prestigious events, such as the Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla (2004) and the Festival de Jerez (2005). He is now immersed in recording his first album, which will be released next year.

ROBERTO AMARAL

Mr. Amaral, a resident of Los Angeles, has been a guest artist or principle dancer with many of the world’s foremost Spanish dance companies. He has maintained an innovative approach to dance and music, continually striving to present a unique approach to both classical and flamenco dance. And this dedication to discipline, this passion for tradition and new forms of expression, he has passed on to many generations of flamenco dancers in Southern California, many of whom come from Santa Barbara. Mr. Amaral began his professional career at age 17 as a member of the Juan Talavera Dance Company, performing in Santa Barbara. He has appeared as guest artist or as principle dancer with many of the world’s most acclaimed Spanish dance companies, including those of Jose Antonio, Jose Greco, Rafael de Cordoba, Alberto Lorca, Ciro, and the legendary Jose Antonio Ruiz. He has performed in many of the grand venues of Europe and America, such as London’s Victoria Theater, Milan’s La Scala Opera House, Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens, Paris’ Olympia Theater, Madrid’s Teatro de la Zarzuela, New York’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, Las Vegas’ Caesar’s Place and Hilton International Hotels. In Los Angeles, he has performed at the Hollywood Bowl, Greek Theater, and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

His television credits include the Academy Awards, the Johnny Carson Tonight Show, the Barry Manilow Special, the Julie Andrews-Harry Belafonte Special, the David Bowie Midnight Special, and the Linda Carter Special, for which he received an Emmy Award for his contributions as flamenco consultant and lead dancer. Mr. Amaral choreographed the stage musical “1492,” The Women of Guernica, the opera Carmen and over 100 classical Spanish and flamenco suites, ballads and solos created exclusively for his companies, Ballet Español de Los Angeles and Fuego Flamenco.