Alegria Dance Company, together with Alegria Ballet Academy and under the artistic direction of Rosana Maya, will present Carmen, flamenco dance show as part of the Malta Arts Festival – Summer 2006. Performances will be on 11 and 12 August at the old Opera House site in Valletta at 9pm.

Rosana Maya, producer, choreographer and dancer, bases the dance drama on the world’s best-loved opera, Carmen, by George Bizet. Destiny unwinds the tale of a high-ranking military man, Don José who is betrothed to childhood sweetheart Micaela. He foolishly falls madly in love with the passionate gypsy, Carmen, who moments earlier, has declared to all in the famous tune, the Habanera, “If you love me, watch out!” The proud Don José takes no notice of her warning and gives up his rigid life to follow her. She soon tires of him and his possessive ways, and is dazzled by the handsome bullfighter, Escamillo, with the popular tune Toreador. The Bullfight arena is, ironically, the place where Carmen meets her fate at the hand of her lover…

Carmen – a Flamenco Dance Show features the foreign guest appearance of Carlos, in the role of Don José and Rosana Maya in the role of Carmen. Other leading roles are played by Nicola Henson, Louise Caruana Galizia, Steve Abela, Anna Maria Espinosa, Maria Del Sol, Svetlana Silina, Yanika Mattei and members of the Alegria Dance Company and Alegria Academy of Ballet. Vivienne Fielding Refalo is guest contemporary choreographer to the production, with the Flamenco supported by guitarist Alex Mizzi, percussionist Renzo Spiteri and singer Marga Benitez Alahoja.

The Malta Arts Festival – Summer 2006, organised by the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts, runs until 20 August. It is sponsored by HSBC Bank Malta plc, Valletta Local Council, Bank of Valletta plc and The Westin Dragonara Resort.

Tickets are priced at Lm6 and Lm8 and are available from the Malta Arts Festival Information Stand, Freedom Square, Valletta, the opening hours of which are: weekdays 8.30am to 1pm and 5pm to 9.30pm, and weekends from 10am to 1pm and 5pm to 9.30pm. Those interested can also call the Malta Arts Festival hotline 9999-0145 or visit the website www.maltaculture.com