| JOSE CALARCO Company Director 2000-2004 |
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José Calarco has had
a long and varied association in the arts in Sydney and around the world
for the last twenty years. In that time he has covered almost the entire spectrum of experience from producer and administrator of large-scale events, to innovative artistic director in the fields of dance, film, theatre and music. José's strong management credentials have seen the Descendance Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Dance Theatre grow into an international Dance Company in the space of three years. José has shown ability to multi-task in marketing, box office, administration, sales, computers, recording, performing musician, writer and artistic director. José has been at the forefront of the world music and dance movement with four performing dance companies in the last fifteen years: |
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José has just completed his multi-cultural touring show Descendance which includes twenty dancers from all nations in exotic fusion work, a world first. José has toured Descendance and its network to twelve countries since 2000, making it one of Australia's most toured acts. José's contribution to dance around the world saw him chosen as a member of the International Dance Council representing Australia in 2003. The council deals with over one hundred countries and its head office is in Greece. José has been instrumental in
the birth and resurgence of three arts companies in Sydney: José originally came from the film industry where he spent five years with Village/Roadshow as a film buyer and programmer. Today, José is providing and creating exciting Aboriginal and World music dance events in the theatre and corporate sector in Australia and overseas. During the 2000 Olympics José produced seventy-eight performances in twenty-four days for people from over one hundred and fifty countries. His group Descendance were also involved in the opening ceremony of the Rugby Union World Cup in 2003, which had an estimated television audience of over one billion people. José's first direct contact with indigenous performers came in 1994 when he began the "Flamenco Dreaming "project, a daring fusion combining the Aboriginal culture, with the passion dance and song of the Flamenco gypsy and the spiritual grace of Indian performance. Flamenco Dreaming was launched after the success of the hit movie "Strictly Ballroom". José at the time of the movie, was the Director of The Antonio Vargas Flamenco Dance Theatre, when Baz Luhrman approached the company about his movie idea. The rest is history: Strictly Ballroom went on to be an international success, with all the Flamenco choreography, content and ideas coming from his company. Flamenco Dreaming in the vein of Strictly Ballroom played to capacity houses for three years and was applauded by audiences and critics around Australia. Sean Choolburra, the indigenous star performer of that production and leader of Ngaru Aboriginal Dancers was to later invite José to take on the management and direction of his company, Ngaru. Today José is at the centre
of a multi-cultural world of sights and sounds, living, breathing, and
helping preserving a variety of cultural performances and customs. He
is well respected and widely known In the Aboriginal, Spanish and Indian
arts communities. These cultures have all made him an honorary citizen.
His long association with the entertainment booking network Halftix has
enabled him to deal directly with over two hundred dance, theatre, and
arts groups, providing critical support in audience development, promotion
and ticket sales. José is also recording, writing, producing and
performing music, from Indigenous to contemporary to abstract and has
written and produced four CD's to date. |
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