ALCHEMY - Program | aliflamenco

“...the unconscious process moves spiral-wise round a centre, gradually getting closer, while the characteristics of the centre grow more and more distinct.”

- Carl Jung

Psychology and Alchemy, CW 12, 325

Co-director/Mentor/Choreographer - Mariana Collado
Choreographer/Concept/Co-director/Dancer - Alison Macdonald
Co-director/Mentor - Mariana Collado
Music Director/Composer/Guitar- Benjamin Barrile
Dancers- Kiyo Asaoka, Rocio Conde, Alexander Herrera, Sebastian’Bash’ Hirtenstein
Voice - Ana Lia, Alvaro Echanove
Cello - George Crotty
Percussion- Rosendo Chendy Leon

THE CRUCIBLE

Removing the mask to begin the great work.

Cante: Ana Lia, Alvaro Echanove

Original lyrics & music Ana Lia

CITRINITAS - part 1

The vessel is fractured. The fragments of traits are analyzed and assessed.

Dance: Company

Cante: Ana Lia, Alvaro Echanov

Music: Alfonso Acosta Pantera

TRANSMUTATION - Toná

Cante: Alvaro Echanove

Dance: Company

Choreography: Alison MacDonald

CITRINITAS - part 2

Raw fragments are pieced together to create a new vessel, a new persona, a new outlook, made more beautiful by its scars.

Dance: Company

Choreography: Alison MacDonald, Sebastian ‘Bash’ Hirtenstein,
Mariana Collado

Music: Roy Vargas

RUBEDO- Tarantos

Unification. Consciousness brings acceptance as the fragments settle into their roles of forming the new self, yet some fragments present more challenges to integrate than others

Dance: Company
Cante & Original Lyrics: Ana Lia
Choreography: Alison MacDonald
Staging: Mariana Collado

ALBEDO

A dialogue with the unconscious. When not acknowledged, fear impedes the incorporation of fragments into a new persona.

Dance: Alison MacDonald, Sebastian ‘Bash’ Hirtenstein
Choreography: Alison MacDonald, Sebastian Hirtenstein, Javier LaTorre
Dramaturgy: Mariana Collado, Peggy Baker
Original music: Benjamin Barrile

THE ABYSS

The cycle begins anew with the descent into the world of the shadow self.

Dance: Alison MacDonald
Original Soundscape: Roy Vargas

NIGREDO - Solea

Settling into the shadow world we confront our darkness.

Dance: Alison MacDonald
Choreography: Jose Maldonado
Original Music: Benjamin Barrile

Alison MacDonald Artistic Director / Concept / Choreographer / Dancer
Alison is a Toronto based flamenco dancer and choreographer. Her studies in traditional flamenco began in Malaga, Granada, and Seville and upon returning to Canada she sought out ways to present flamenco in modern formats while honouring the artform’s traditions.

In 2011 she co-founded Triana Project, which performed at the 2013 International Flamenco Festivals in Toronto and Montreal. Their sold out 2017 performance of B-sides at the Harbourfront Studio Theatre pushed the limits of flamenco tradition. In 2014 she co-founded ViDAnza which won the Paula Citron Dance Award for the original work Silencio. Alison was a member of Compania Carmen Romero and has danced in the Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company since 2018. With the company, Alison has received two nominations for the Dora Mavor Performing Arts Awards in performance-ensemble and choreography. She is also grateful for the support of the Chalmers Professional Development grant through the Ontario Arts Council in 2021.

Alison’s self-produced flamenco and contemporary dance show ALCHEMY is the result of the culmination of her previous works which explored and investigated ways in which Flamenco can be presented in innovative ways with thematic storytelling at its core.

Kiyo Asaoka - Dancer
Kiyo began her flamenco journey in 1998 with Arte Flamenco Spanish Dance Company, launching a career of over 25 years as a dedicated performer, choreographer, and educator. While collaborating with various artists to create and direct performances, she continues to study with flamenco masters from Spain and Canada. Teaching is also a vital part of her practice.

Kiyo also creates works that blend flamenco with her Japanese background, exploring both tradition and new possibilities across the two art forms.

Since 2016, she has been the driving force behind Tablao Flamenco Toronto, organizing monthly performances and occasional workshops that bring together local and international artists. Kiyo sees her mission as keeping flamenco lively and accessible, supporting the growth of Toronto’s flamenco community for both today and future generations. Her love and passion for flamenco are unwavering, and she remains dedicated to its growth and preservation.

Rocío Conde - Dancer
Rocío is a Venezuelan flamenco dancer and educator. Rocío started studying flamenco more than twenty years ago at Escuela de Baile Tatiana Reyna, in Caracas. Rocío has been a flamenco teacher and choreographer for the past sixteen years, teaching flamenco to children, adults, and seniors in four countries. In 2011 in Venezuela, she was a finalist in the first edition of Premio Torbellino Flamenco, a flamenco dance competition that brings together artists and flamenco students from every corner of the country. In 2017, she won the Second Prize in Flamenco Certamen USA, held at Lincoln Center in New York City. Rocío has studied with flamenco masters in Venezuela, Spain, USA, Australia, and Canada. She moved to Toronto in December 2019, where she performs, teaches and choreographs and continues to study flamenco with María Serrano and Esmeralda Enrique.

Alexander Herrera - Dancer
Alexander was born in Chiapas, Mexico where he began his dance training in contemporary dance. He earned an exchange opportunity at the National School of Classical and Contemporary Dance in Mexico City where he worked with choreographers such as Erika Mendez and Rosana Filomarino. In Canada, Alexander has performed with Newton Moraes Dance Company, Ali Flamenco, The Parahumans, Little Pear Garden and with Sarah Di Iorio. He teaches contemporary acrobatic floorwork workshops and most recently presented his choreographic work ‘Visibles’ at the Vanguardia Dance Festival. Alexander is the founder of MxM, a project promoting Canadian-Mexican cultural exchanges and the education of emerging artists.

Sebastian "Bash" Hirtenstein - Dancer / Choreographer
Sebastian’s undeniable versatility, unshakeable fearlessness and captivating qualities in performance have allowed him to work with a wide spectrum of choreographers & companies such as BoucharDanse, Addy Chan, Michael Caldwell, Canadian Opera Company, Emilio Collalilo, Lenny de la Pena, Barbara Diabo, Rodney Diverlus, The Dietrich Group, Scott Fordham, Gadfly, Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, Little Pear Garden Dance Company, Jennifer Nichols, Kevin Ormsby, Red Sky Performance, Jennifer Thiessen, Kylie Thompson, and at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre with Nova Bhattacharya, Marc Boivin, Susie Burpee, Peter Chin, Jennifer Dallas, Robert Desrosiers, Danny Grossman, Christopher House, Allen Kaeja, Louis Laberge-Côté, Sharon Moore, Julia Sasso, and Darryl Tracy. He has performed throughout Canada, the Middle East, and Asia with Creativiva’s Aladdin and Pinocchio (for which he was dance captain) and has shared stages with stars such as Ariana Grande, Jason Derulo, Kiesza, Bebe Rexha, Delaney Jane, Allan Rayman and Polina Grace.

Benjamin Barrile - Music Director/ Composer / Guitarist
Benjamin is a skilled soloist, accompanist, and composer whose original works are modern while remaining deeply connected to the flamenco tradition. His passion for flamenco led him to Jerez de la Frontera, one of the art form’s cultural epicentres in southern Spain, where he studied under several esteemed maestros.

Benjamin has collaborated with artists such as Tamar Ilana & Ventanas and Gustaü & Puente del Diablo, and is the producer and co-composer for Latin Pop Alternative artist Ana Lía. He is a two-time Dora Mavor Moore Award winner for Outstanding Sound Design and Composition, including a shared win with flamenco guitarist Caroline Planté. In 2020, he was nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award for Instrumental Solo Artist of the Year.

His debut album, Esperando el Alba (Waiting for Dawn), is a personal and artistic reflection on his experience with musician’s focal dystonia, a rare neurological condition that has ended many musical careers. Despite this challenge, Benjamin continues to compose, record, and perform, including his work as resident guitarist with Toronto’s Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company and Compañía Carmen Romero.

Ana Lia - Cante (Voice)
Ana Lía is a Dominican-Canadian artist whose charming, vibrant performances deliver an unmistakable experience for every audience. The singular blend of Rhythmic Dominican and Latin songs, jazz, pop, flamenco, and even hip-hop, shape the way she crafts music today. Her bright, rich voice makes her music enjoyable beyond language. Ana Lía has studied with various renowned Flamenco vocalists from Andalusia, Spain, and performed across Ontario with top Canadian Flamenco dance companies. I In June 2023, she released her debut album, Cíclica. As an artist, she's garnered over 209K streams, more than 117K listeners in 114 countries on Spotify. She's opened for Alex Cuba and Las Migas in concert, has played the NXNE, the Canadian B2BBQ pre-WOMEX in A Coruña, Spain, Le Phoque OFF, BIME Bogotá, Folk Canada, Folk Alliance International 2025, Tallinn Music Week 2025 and Sunfest Pro showcase 2025. Her upcoming EP ‘Yo Soy Yo’ is set to be released late summer 2025.

Alvaro Echánove - Cante (Voice)
Alvaro is a Spanish flamenco singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He was born in a family from Madrid that lived in France, Singapore, and Japan. He is deeply attached to traditional flamenco forms while plainly accepting his cosmopolitan identity.

He learned flamenco singing at the Cristina Heeren Foundation in Seville, where he developed a taste for the history of this art, for its codes, and for the challenges posed by its transmission and globalization. Before flamenco, he sang David Bowie and Leonard Cohen in the Parisian subway, in the streets of London, and on French national television (Nouvelle Star 2014). He also ran a music workshop in a community center for the addicted (Espoir Goutte d'Or). There, he cultivated a talent for grassroots community-building which was later put to use in Montreal’s flamenco scene.

He has played hundreds of shows in eight countries, singing for internationally renowned dancers such as Raul Ortega, Carmen Young and Juan Polvillo.

George Crotty - Cello
George is a Canadian cellist who has forged his own exciting vocabulary, pushing the boundaries of the cello. Following his graduation from the Berklee College of Music, Crotty immersed himself in New York’s jazz and world music scenes, playing with several ensembles, such as the Brooklyn Raga Massive, and Detroit-based National Arab Orchestra. Crotty has also worked with esteemed musicians such as Bob Ezrin, Adam Rudolph, Simon Shaheen, and Paquito D’Rivera.

Crotty has performed as a soloist and bandleader in North America and Europe including at the Vancouver Jazz Festival, 21C Music Festival, Copenhagen Vinterjazz Festival, and New Directions Cello Festival. He toured North America with 10-time Tony-winning Broadway musical, “The Band’s Visit,” and played on the video game soundtrack for “Assassin’s Creed Mirage.”

Rosendo Chendy Leon - Percussion
Chendy was born in Cuba and grew up watching and playing most Cuban percussion instruments with his father, Rosendo León Sanchez and danced quite often with his mother, Maria J. Arocha Martinez who are the most important influences in his life. By age 18 he began his professional career, performing and recording with many Cuban artists such as: Yagrumas Jazz Band, Melao Son, and Metropolis. In 1998 he produced music for Oscar nominated Cuban documentary, Policlinico Infernal and collaborated with Cuban icons Pancho Amat and Silvio Rodrigues and international artists Eddy Santiago, Paquito D’Rivera, Angelique Kidjo, Oscar D’León, and Celia Cruz.In Toronto he has collaborated and recorded with artists such as: Havana Express, Eliana Cuevas, Luis Mario Ochoa and Cimarron, Amanda Martinez, Son Ache, Cane Fire, Sultans of String, EESDC, Chris Church, Nicolas Hernandez, Alex Cuba, Parachute Club, Jesse Cook, Dominic Mancuso Group, Roberto Linares Brown, Tamar Ilana, Benjamin Barrile, Ana Lía, Compañía Carmen Romero, Glass Tiger, The Elevator Collective, Irene Torres, Leahy, and Natalie McMaster. Chendy is endorsed by Moperc percussion instruments and Headhunters sticks.

Mariana Collado - Mentor / Co Artistic Director
Mariana is a highly sought after dancer, choreographer and artistic director on the Flamenco scene in Spain and abroad. Highlights of her wealth of training include a diploma in Spanish Dance and Flamenco from the Professional Dance Conservatory of Almería (1999) and various scholarships at centers for performing arts professionals, including the Cristina Heeren Flamenco Foundation in Seville (2001) and the Mario Maya Flamenco Center for Scenic Studies in Granada (2002-2004). In Madrid she continued her training in contemporary dance, theater, and stage direction.

Her awards include First Place for Solo Choreography at the XXI Madrid Spanish Dance and Flamenco Choreography Competition (2012) and Second Place for Flamenco Dance at the II International Dance Festival of Almería (2011).

Her first show “Vecinos”, created with Carlos Chamorro, received audience and critic praise at the Madrid Flamenco Festival (2016). They have gone on to create 4 more successful shows. As co-director she has worked with dancer/choreographer José Maldonado on the show "Bodegón", which received the Revelation Artist Award at the Festival de Jerez 2019, and his second show “Galeria” in 2021.

Gabriel Cropley - Lighting Designer / Stage Manager
Gabriel is a Toronto based lighting designer and three-time Dora Mavor Moore award nominee. Recent credits include Cendrillon for University of Toronto Opera (Elgin Theatre), Wakati for NAfro Dance Productions (Winnipeg), home for RAW Taiko Drummers, December Dances for Dance Arts Institute, RISE: Fall Dances for TMU Performance Dance, Empty Space Empty Time for Ottawa Dance Directive (Southam Hall, NAC), and Magic of Assembly for Toronto Dance Theatre Gabriel has had the privilege of collaborating with the City of Toronto/Nuit Blanche, Ballet Creole, Victoria Mata Productions & Aluna Theatre, Coal Mine Theatre, dance: made in canada | fait au canada, CanAsian Dance, dreamwalker dance, University of Toronto Opera, Sampradaya Dance Creations, Dancemakers, Humber Theatre, BoucharDanse, Sashar Zarif Dance Theatre, pounds per square inch performance, Avinoam Silverman Dance, Little Pear Garden Dance Company, Toronto Heritage Dance, Capitol Theatre Port Hope, Newton Moraes Dance Theatre, York Dance Ensemble, TOES for Dance,Danny Grossman, Sook-Yin Lee & Jennifer Goodwin, Peggy Baker Dance Projects, Hamilton Children’s Choir, Tracey Norman, Forcier StageWorks, Art of Time Ensemble, the School of Toronto Dance Theatre, and more.

Pamela Briz - Project Manager / Assistant Stage Manager

Photography: Vanessa Guillen

Make Up: Kelly Davidson

Graphic Design: Vanessa Guillen, Jovey Antonio

SUPPORT TEAM

VOLUNTEERS

Sonia Muñoz, Maria Nicolaidis, Makeda Benitez, Virginia Castro Duran

DONORS

Shannon Stragier, Peggy & Raymond MacDonald