The 22nd Chicago Flamenco Festival wraps up with renowned flamenco dancer Irene “La Chiqui de Málaga” Lozano and her new show Las mujeres que habitan en mi, a stunning tribute to women and the possibilities that have influenced her life and art.
“The women who live within me, those whose lives I have not been able to live and those whose lives I have been able to live. Due to the circumstances of life and the profession to which I have dedicated myself since I was 4 years old, there are many moments as an adolescent girl and woman that I could not live, as well as experiences that made me become an adult very soon. There are many women who have made me who I am today and have influenced what my dance has become. All the women I wasn’t and the women I lived.” – Irene Lozano
Irene Lozano Ruiz,is one of the greatest talents in the new generation of flamenco dance. She was recently awarded the Premio Desplante at the Festival Internacional de Minas in Spain, one of the most prestigious flamenco awards in the world. Nicknamed La Chiqui de Málaga, She began her professional career in 2007 with the Javier Latorre Company. She was later selected to be part of the companies of Rafael Estevez y Nani Panos, Eva Yerbabuena, and Ruben Olmo. While performing with several other flamenco companies, in 2012 Irene founded her own company, presenting five original shows which she directed and where she starred next to such respected guest artists as Javier Latorre, Antonio Canales, and Daniel Navarro. Her company was invited to participate in many prestigious festivals, including LaBienal de Málaga, Los Veranos del Corral, and the Alburquerque New Mexico Flamenco Festival. In 2020, she established herself in Miami and opened her dance school, the Flamenco Dance Institute. At the same time, she was performing as a principal dancer in the flamenco show Cava in Miami, Florida.
Joining her in this performance: Guitar: José Manuel Alconchel; Percussion: Diego Álvarez "el negro"; and Guest Artist: David Carpio