Ankara welcomes autumn with flamenco

The Fifth International Flamenco Ankara Festival gets under way Wednesday evening with an opening gala and a selection of films on the traditional Spanish dance to be presented at the Monec Hotel in Oran.

The festival will see live performances by Turkish, Spanish and Greek flamenco dancers and ensembles at a variety of venues, including the Middle East Technical University’s (ODTÜ) Culture and Congress Center, the Çankaya Municipality’s Contemporary Arts Center in Kavaklıdere and the Tapas Café on Tunalı Hilmi Street.

World famous dancer Joaquin Grilo, the ensemble Niño de Pura, flamenco guitarist Manolo Franco of Spain and Greece’s Katerina Voulgari with her ensemble Alma Gitana are acts featured in this year’s festival, which will run until Oct. 9. For the full program, visit www.flamenkofest.net.