GEMA JIMÉNEZ, WINNER OF THE “LÁMPARA MINERA” IN THE FLAMENCO FESTIVAL “LA UNIÓN”

Gema Jiménez (born in Jódar, 1986), who is a scholarship student in the Intermediate Course of the specialty of Singing, has been the absolute winner of the famous prize“Lámpara Minera” in the “Festival Flamenco deLa Unión” 2005. The improvement of Gema in her development as Flamenco singer has been extraordinary, since she had won before the contest of “Tarantas de Linares” in 2004 and also another prize “El Melón de Oro” in the“Festival Flamenco de Lo Ferro” 2004. Gema received a scholarship from “EL CORTE INGLÉS” to study at The Cristina Heeren Foundation after taking part in the fifth Contest of Granaínas 2004.

PREMIERE OF “DON JUAN FLAMENCO” IN THE XIII BIENNIAL OF FLAMENCO

The Cristina Heeren Foundation and ANEA Productions premiered in the XIII Biennial of Flamenco in Seville “Don Juan Flamenco”, that is a performance produced with many artists, including different teachers and former students of the School.

The main role was played by the dancer Rafael Campallo. He performed together with some of our ex-students such as; “ La Choni”, Maribel Ramos and “El Choro” (Dance), Laura Vital, Virginia Gámez, Laura Vital,Jeromo Segura, Manuel Lombo, Javier Rivera, Vicente Gelo and Alicia Acuña (Singing) and Tino van der Sman (Guitar). The show included also the special performance of Ursula López, Adela Campallo, José Vidal “Lebri”, Paco Serrano and Juan Campallo.

THE CRISTINA HEEREN FLAMENCO FOUNDATION IN THE “EXALTACIÓN DE LA SAETA”

Thanks to an agreement arranged with the “Confederación de Empresarios de Andalucía” (CEA), the former students of The Cristina Heeren Flamenco Foundation were invited to sing as “Saeteros”in the Cathedral of Seville during the “Exaltación a la Saeta” for two years in a row.

Virginia Gámez, Inmaculada Martín, Manuel Lombo and Vicente Gelo performed in 2004 and Aroa Cala and Sebastián Cruz in 2005.

END OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR IN THE “PARQUE DEL ALAMILLO”

Since 2005 the students of The Foundation have the possibility of performing in front of an audience from Seville in the “Cortijo del Parque del Alamillo” that belongs to the Andalusian

Government. In the summer of 2004 the direction of the park invited to some young Flamenco artists from the Foundation to perform twice a week and in the summer of 2005 the performances of the end of the academic year were carried out with great success. More than three thousand people attended the shows during these five days. 94 students of more than 15 nationalities performed in that event.

AGREEMENTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

The “Asociación de Intérpretes y Ejecutantes” (AIE) finances 8 scholarships in each specialty every academic year since 2003.

Also, the famous Maruwa Foundation-whose president is the Japanese Dancer Yoko Komatsubara- gives two scholarships each year. These scholarships are for young dancers, who stand out in the annual prize celebrated every year in Tokio.

Finally, the collaboration agreement with “Ambito Cultural” El Corte Inglés will increased its number of scholarships : from 10 to 20 in the annual course 2006.

FORMER STUDENTS MAKE FLAMENCO RECORDS

Three former students of the specialty of guitar have made their first records. Tino van der Sman (Holland) recorded “Desatino”, Alfredo Cáceres (Guatemala) “Siroco” and Johan Moberg (Sweden) his CD “Manantial”.