Sonia Olla
Born in Barcelona, Sonia Olla is a well-known flamenco dancer. She trained in Condal at the Instituto de Teatro y Danza where she specialized in Flamenco dance. After training with high caliber flamenco artists and teachers such as Merche Esmeralda, Manolo Marin, Mariquilla, and Antonio Canales, she began her professional career in the Rafael Amargo Company, followed by other artistic projects, the most notable being with Domingo Ortega, Aida Gomez, Nuevo Ballet Espanol, Eva la Hierbabena, Rafaela Carrasco, Maria Pages and Madonna.
Ismael fernandez
Also known as Ismael de la Rosa, this vocalist from Seville began his career in Barcelona, The flamenco bar in Cardovan. From there he moved to Sevilla, at The Carboneria and back to Granada where he worked for two years in one of the famous caves, Flemish City.
In 2004, Ismael won the National Competition for Cordoba singing bulerias Soraya Clavijo. That same year he was a finalist in the Festival de Cante Union accompanying the dance and has participated several times in the Bienal de Flamenco show with his family.
Throughout his intense career he has worked with top flamenco artists: Marina Heredia, El Torombo, Leonor Moro, Manuel Linan, Rafaela Carrasco, Alfonso Losa, Joselillo Romero, Olga Pericet, and Maria Pages.
He has performed at the Joyce NYC, Avery Fisher Hall NYC, Sadler Wells Theater Lonon, Esplanade Theater Singapore, Bunka Mura Hall Japan, Zarzuela Madrid, and Teatro Real Madrid over the last ten years.
mark gindick
Born and raised in New York, Mark Gindick is a professional actor, clown, physical comedian, director, teacher and writer/creator of his own theatrical shows. Wing-Man, his original theatrical piece without one spoken word, won BEST ONE-MAN SHOW in United Solo Theatre Festival, the largest solo festival of its kind in the world. Mark has appeared in major feature films, including the Nora Ephron comedy Julie & Julia with Meryl Streep; on televison, The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and was featured in The PBS miniseries CIRCUS; starred Off-Broadway and at the Edinburgh Theatre Festival in the New York Times acclaimed hit The Comedy Trio Happy Hour, Happyhourclowns.com; clowned on circuses such as Ringling Brothers and the Big Apple Circus; taught clowning at SUNY Purchase college as well as other New York City venues. Mark wrote and starred in How To Be A Man at the Palace of Variety on 42nd Street (NYC). Mark’s unique blend of vaudeville, dance, and physical comedy has earned him three Golden Nose Awards.
annA venizelos
Anna has returned to New York City following a three year contract with Cirque du Soleil's Quidam. During the Asia/Pacific tour in 2004, she participated in the aerial hoops act as part of a women's trio. In 2006 during the North America/Canada Tour, Anna took on the featured solo, contortion in silks. Anna has also performed with Montreal based circus companies, Les Gens d'R and Cirque Eloize. Before taking on her aerial career, Anna attended NYU's School of Education as a Dance Major in addition to spending a year studying theater at Emerson College.
olga karmanski
Olga most recently starred as "Iris" in The Tempest at The Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park, starring Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Sam Waterston. Performance highlights include the original cast of the revival of the Broadway smash hit Pippin (dir. Diane Paulus of Hair, Porgy & Bess & chor. Gypsy Snider of 7 doigts’ Traces), the Panic at the Disco Tour (MTV Music Video of the Year), Gymnastics Superstars Tour (USA Post-Olympic Gymnastics Tour), and the Venice Biennale International Art Festival (Venice, Italy). Olga is a US Champion and two-time Pan American Champion in Rhythmic Gymnastics. Official Olympic Alternate Athens, Greece.
angelo iodice aka aj silver
As a child, Angelo was fascinated by the Cowboy and tales of the Wild West. He saw his first rodeo at Madison Square Garden.
As fate would have it he met the professional rodeo couple Nick and Helen Panzella also Bronx natives. Helen, one of the nation’s top trick riders, was so impressed with Angelo’s determination to learn that she agreed to mentor him. Nick, a blacksmith and rodeo competitor, taught Angelo trick roping and prepared him for life on the rodeo trail.
Out of respect for his Italian immigrant Grandparents, he put his rodeo career on hold to attend Pace University in Pleasantville, New York. After graduation he was honored as the Act of the Year by the International Rodeo Association at The Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma and was accepted as a member into the Professional Rodeo Cowboy’s Association.
He eventually decided to take a break from trick riding and horses and truned his career focus on creating a western variety act combining trick roping, bullwhip artistry and boleadoras. Under the stage name AJ Silver he currently performs his unique high energy acts in a variety of entertainment venues around the world.
Amanda topaz
Amanda Topaz is a New York City Aerial artist who has created and performed aerial pieces and installations for celebrations around the globe. Starting on the ground with Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, and Ornette Coleman in “? Civiliazation” at Lincoln Center, Amanda evolved to Bungee performance for the Turkish Pop-Star, Tarkan in Baku Azerbaijan. Amanda works closely with companies and curators who come to her for unique aerial performances. In 2005, Amanda lost 75% of her hearing in both ears and was forced to have surgery to recover it. Through extensive training and perseverance she was able to overcome the vertigo that followed to acquire new directional skills and equilibrium in the air. Recent collaborations include the fashion film Fundipendulous for VPL, Equilibrium with choreographer Benoit Swan Pouffer, Citizen’s Band, two years of The Genius Gala at the Liberty Science Center — a cube act to honor Erno Rubik, and a crescent moon number to honor Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic and Buzz Aldrin — a duet with opera singer Denyce Graves for the Susan G. Komen Foundation at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, creation of an aerial installation for Cedar Lake Dance, and working with sculptor Marianne Vitale to create an aerial component to fill vertical space in an installation for Performa, NYC. She draws inspiration from learning about the people for whom she creates, and especially the beauty of the ceilings where she hangs. Amanda holds a BFA from The New School for Social Research Jazz and Contemporary Music Program.
sarah sophie flicker
Sarah Sophie Flicker is an activist performer/aerialist, writer, filmaker and Creative Director of the political cabaret troupe, The Citizens Band. She is the Editor-At-Large for Violet Book. Her writing can be found at Hello Giggles, Rookie Magazine, Refinery 29, The Cut, Cosmo.com, Violet Book, Stylist, Rizzoli's publication "The Inspired Home" and her site, At Once, focusing on the intersection of feminism and parenthood.
Along with Lizz Winstead she helped found Lady Parts Justice a reproductive rights and get out the vote campaign using humor and media to expose anti-women legislation and inform on the local and federal level.
Her award winning filmwork with co-director Maximilla Lukacs has been showcased around the globe. In 2012, along with Rebecca Parks Fernandez and Tennessee Thomas, they co-founded The Department Of Peace, a production company geared toward creating consciousness raising content and inspiring political action. Their work includes the "You Don't Own Me" and " Bad Reputation" Get Out The Vote PSA'S.
She is currently collaborating with Art Not War and Emilys List on a Paid Family Leave PSA.
Sarah Sophie currently resides in New York. a mother to three children and married to director Jesse Peretz.