For Additional Information Contact: Diana Dinicola: 502-235-3998 didodi67@yahoo.com - Fabulous Spanish Food and Flamenco!- Join Flamenco Louisville and BLU for the only monthly Spanish tablao experience in the area, this Friday, August 8, 2008, from 7:00-10:00 pm. For this night, BLU Mediterranean Grille is transformed into a flamenco club like those in Andalucia, with a specially prepared Spanish menu, and passionate flamenco music and dance. Flamenco Louisville's main "cuadro", joined by dancers Cecilia Walcek and Mary Ann Silveri-Ljubic, will perform two sets, so make your plans for early evening or late. BLU Mediterranean Grille is located in the Louisville Marriott Downtown, 280 W. Jefferson St., Louisville, Kentucky. Reservations around the dance floor are available and encouraged - call early for the best seats in the house: (502) 627-5045 or BLUGrille.com. BLU has prepared a special Taste of Spain menu, with Sangria to complete the meal. The regular menu will be served as well. Come experience an authentic Spanish night out in Kentucky! Photographs available in .jpg format upon request. ABOUT FLAMENCO LOUISVILLE: Flamenco Louisville is the oldest flamenco organization in the area, providing a home for flamenco performers, students, and aficionados. They offer classes, workshops and educational programs, as well as being available to provide professional and student dancers and musicians for a variety of performance situations. For more information, visit: www.FlamencoLouisville.org. ABOUT THE FLAMENCO LOUISVILLE "CUADRO": Suzanne Allen holds both a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree in Music from Indiana University and has recently finished a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Indiana University Southeast. While she remained active as a vocalist in church and concert music, most of her professional career has been in stage direction for opera at such companies as New York City Opera, l’Opéra de Montreal, Palm Beach Opera, and Opera Philadelphia. Suzanne first encountered flamenco when she was hired for her first production of Carmen and decided to take a flamenco dance class to add to her movement vocabulary. From that point on, she became completely enamored with the form and continued her dance studies with Mariquita Flores and Victorio Korjan. Upon moving to Louisville, Suzanne joined Flamenco Louisville and most recently brought her vocal talents to the genre. She has studied flamenco voice with Marija Temo, Chayito and Angela Ponzio. Paul T. Carney is a life-long musician, starting as a singer in his church choir as a child, and studying piano, organ and guitar along the way. Hhe discovered his love for percussion while living in Chicago, studying with Cuban percussionist Dede' Sampaio, and accompanying at the Giordano Dance Center of Evanston, IL. After developing a love for flamenco (through his wife, Diana Dinicola), and being inspired by a live performance by Manuel Soler, Paul began exploring flamenco through the cajon, or box drum. More recently, his explorations have led him to the flamenco guitar. Paul, who has been performing and accompanying with Flamenco Louisville since 2004, has traveled to Spain and elsewhere to study flamenco in class and "in context". He has also worked with Antonio Vargas, Chayito Champion, and Ricardo Marlow. Paul holds a degree in Performance Studies from Northwestern University, and is currently a video artist, tv producer, and a resident scenic designer with the Specific Gravity Ensemble. Paula Collins began dancing at an early age in her hometown of Frankfort, KY under the direction of her cousin Barbara Collins. In 2001, she was introduced to Flamenco at Ballet Espanol and became passionate about the art form. She has since primarily studied with Diana Dinicola and Mariya Tarakanova at Flamenco Louisville and has performed alongside Maestro Antonio Vargas and Chayito Champion. Paula has been to the National Institute of Flamenco in Albuquerque, New Mexico for 5 years and studied with Joaquin and Marisol Encinias, Andres Marin, Adela Campallo, Vero La India, Farruca and Antonio Vargas. During 2006 she traveled to Sevilla, Spain to study with the legendary Juana Amaya. This past summer she was funded through the Kentucky Governors Scholar Program to organize and perform along with Flamenco Louisville at Centre College, Bellarmine College and Morehead State University. She holds a degree in Dentistry and currently is an Assistant Professor at University of Louisville while performing regularly throughout the state with Flamenco Louisville. Diana Dinicola has danced since childhood, and began her training in flamenco with Ballet Español. She has since studied at the National Flamenco Institute and Fundacíon Cristina Heeren del Arte Flamenco in Sevilla, Spain. She has shared the stage with partner Mariya Tarakanova and Antonio Vargas, Ángel Muñoz, Arturo Martínez, Jesus Montoya and others. Influential teachers include Rafael Campallo, Adela Campallo, Milagros Menjibar, Carmen Ledesma, La Zambra, María Pagés, Pastora Galván, Belén Fernández, Mercedes Amaya, and Rosario Toledo. Diana’s educational programming has qualified for the Kentucky Showcase Artist program and she is a graduate of the inaugural Artist/Educator Seminar, a model program developed by the Kentucky Center for the Arts.