Arboles (Trees) – Emerging Artist Act
“The work entitled “Arboles (Trees)” explores the metaphor of trees, how we can find strength from our roots, persevere through hard times and reach out towards community for hope.
The aim of this work is to create dialogue about our lived experiences with our community and spread the seeds of empathy and compassion.
By bringing the work outdoors, into public spaces of an urbanized landscape, I invite the audience into the universal language of emotion, and connect with them through flamenco to share themes of hardship, perseverance and determination.
The process and creation of this work led me to consider important questions about my connection to the local landscape, and thinking about my relationship to the indigenous peoples who have lived on this land since time immemorial and how colonization and capitalism has led us to the current social context of urbanization, gentrification and climate change.
All these systems can lead to sorrow, loneliness and despair. The intention of Arboles (Trees is to highlight the importance of resilience, generational strength and maintaining a strong sense of community during trying times.
The history of flamenco is deeply rooted in powerful cultural and musical practices of people who have survived hardship and persecution (including Roma, Jewish, Moorish). My connection to flamenco comes from my last name Triana which is a famous flamenco neighbourhood in Sevilla, Spain. For many reasons my family history is hard to track. Connecting with flamenco over the past 15 years has allowed me to explore my own and my family’s experiences related to hardship and displacement.
What the art form has taught me is to feel each emotion and come out the other side stronger and more connected. What I want to leave the audience with is a desire to talk about their emotions with their community and create a sense of connectedness.” – Jhoely Triana
Meet the artists:
Jhoely Triana, born in Colombia, is a Vancouver based flamenco dancer and choreographer. Jhoely trained at the Goh Ballet Academy, completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Contemporary Dance at Simon Fraser University, and now continues her artistic development with the mentorship of Kasandra “La China” and Oscar Nieto at Al Mozaico Flamenco as well as Rosario Ancer at Rosario Flamenco. She has presented work at the Victoria Flamenco Festival, Vancouver International Flamenco Festival, the Dance Centre’s 12 Min Max, Vines Festival, New Works Summer Series, and BC Culture Days. Recent achievement include receiving grants from Canada Arts Council and BC Arts Council to develop and present her work “Arboles (Trees)”. Jhoely’s love of Flamenco has led her to train with acclaimed artists such as Rapico Jose Carmona, El Farru, Emilio Ochando, Ivan Vargas, Adela Campallo, Alicia Marquez and Claudia Cruz among others. Jhoely’s work emphasizes connection to the audience through authenticity of emotion and vulnerability.
Peter Mole has been performing flamenco for over twenty-five years. He introduced Flamenco to the Kino Cafe in 1994 and performed there weekly until 2020. His musical training began at the McGill University Conservatory of Music then Sevilla and Jerez de la Frontera, Spain to embrace Flamenco. He composed and performed the music for “Mariposa: The Butterfly’s Evil Spell”, at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa and performed and composed for the score for the NFB documentary “Opre Roma” with “Los Canasteros”.