FLOR Flamenco Community Showcase

Saturday, May 31 at 2:00 PM (doors 1:30 PM) & 7:00 PM (doors 6:30 PM)

Approximately 75-minutes with a 15-minute intermission

Tickets are available for $25 in advance, $28 at the door, and $35 for preferred seating (pay-what-you-can available)

All ages

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FLOR Flamenco Community Showcase

FLOR Community Showcase, Season Finale!

FLOR takes the stage for two unforgettable performances of flamenco, where movement and music intertwine in a vibrant celebration of this dynamic art form and the Maine community that brings it to life.

Each show will feature live and local dancers, singers, and musicians weaving stories through deep song, masterful guitar, driving percussion, and the striking expressiveness that defines flamenco.

This is more than a performance—it’s a gathering of community, tradition, and artistry. Witness the culmination of a full season’s dedication as FLOR’s artists create moments of connection that will resonate long after the final note.

Dancers: FLOR Community Ensemble & FLOR director Lindsey Bourassa

Andreea Bârsan

Cheryl Berman

Marisa Bois

Lindsey Bourassa

Gina Gamez

Ana Ibarra

Megan Keogh

Amy LaLime

Robert Lammers

Tavah Martinez

Maria Mazorra

Nyki Moore

Laura Moore

Jamie Picardy

Carol Richards

Maria Sanchez

Virginia Simonds

Kaya Teret

Moira Townsend

Christina Verrette

Berenice Weingart

Rennie Weingart

Guitar: Behzad Habibzai

Singers: Meghan Habibzai, Brian J. Evans and Chriss Sutherland

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ARTIST BIOS

FLOR - Through the art of flamenco, FLOR fosters artistic, cultural & community stewardship through flamenco classes, performances and events.

Lindsey Bourassa - Based in Maine, Lindsey Bourassa is a flamenco artist, choreographer, and teacher. She is the founding-director of FLOR, a flamenco nonprofit based in Maine and the driving force behind Maine’s first prominent and growing flamenco community.

Behzad Habibzai is a music composer and flamenco guitarist. He began playing drums and classical percussion at 10, maintaining a busy schedule performing orchestral, jazz, punk rock, at rock clubs and symphony halls. At 14 he discovered flamenco guitar, going on to portray flamenco forms in performances with several international artists.

Brian J. Evans - Mixing disciplines, mixing professions, and mixed race, Brian J. Evans unpacks the “moments of suspension” that reside in the spaces between spaces—convinced that connections exist between us all and it is the responsibility of the Arts to remind us to be holistically human, lest we forget. Courageous vulnerability and intentional equity keep him aloft as he finds ways to give back and add to the communities, mentors, and ancestors who blazed trails and continue to do so! Brian believes it is the responsibility of the Arts to rediscover existing connections within humanity.

Meghan Pilar Whittier Habibzai is a vocalist, arranger, composer and conductor. Her experience in choral music, art song, opera, musical theater, jazz, and bluegrass have resulted in performances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, the Capitol Lawn in Washington, D.C., the Spanish Embassy in Madrid, and many others, as a soloist and ensemble artist. She was a member of the Soldiers’ Chorus of the U.S. Army Field Band from 2007-2019 and performed in the 48 contiguous states, Puerto Rico, and Spain. Meghan had her choral arrangements sung on National tours by the Soldiers’ Chorus, including her reimagining of the “Coventry Carol” at Baltimore’s Lyric Theater. Meghan met renowned Spanish composer Antón García Abril in 2012 at the Escuela Supérior de Canto in Madrid, and sang in masterclasses led by the composer in 2012 and 2013. She gave a recital in his honor at the Spanish Ambassador’s Residence in Washington, D.C. in 2016, and released a solo vocal recording titled “Canciones de Antón García Abril” in 2020, accompanied by pianist R. Timothy McReynolds. Meghan gave a lecture recital and masterclass on Spanish art song at University of Southern Maine’s Osher School of Music in 2024. Frequently collaborating with her husband, flamenco guitarist and composer Behzad Habibzai, they perform concerts featuring Spanish canciones and flamenco music, most recently at Blue in Portland, Maine. Meghan also released two instrumental compositions: “Salut Nuages” and “Spring in Winter”, for piano, violin, and cello. For more, visit meghanhabibzai.com.

Chriss Sutherland has a musical recording career that has spanned over twenty five years. A founding member of Cerberus Shoal, Fire on Fire, Olas, and Snaex. Sutherland has toured extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe sharing the stage with the likes of Wilco, The Sun City Girls, Herman Dune, Jolie Holland, Brown Bird, Jeffrey Lewis, The Necks, The Thermals, and Micah Blue Smaldone.

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PAY WHAT YOU CAN

No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Please use this online form or contact MSA at 207-879-4629 or info@mayostreetarts.org to take advantage of pay-what-you-can admission.

EVENT PARKING

Free on-street parking is available in Mayo Street Arts’ neighborhood.

There is one paid parking lot conveniently located a six-minute walk from the venue: Top of the Old Port Parking (119 Pearl St, Portland ME 04101)

Mayo Street Arts is accessible by Greater Portland Metro bus routes with nearby transfer points 7, 9A & 9B. Click here to learn more.

ACCESSIBILITY

All performances and most other events held at Mayo Street Arts are wheelchair accessible. There are two accessible spots directly in front of our building, however there is not yet a curb cut out at that location.

If you would benefit from additional information or accommodations, we invite you to contact us at info@mayostreetarts.org or 207-879-4629.

COMMUNITY HEALTH

Audience members — in addition to artists, staff & volunteers — who feel sick or exhibit symptoms of illness should stay home out of respect for others.

SEATING POLICY

We will save your reserved seat until showtime, at which point any unclaimed seats may be offered to other people. Please call our box office at 207-879-4629 if you are running late.

CANCELATION POLICY

MSA has a no refund policy for all reservations. In the event that MSA is forced to cancel an event due to weather, illness, etc., refunds will be offered via the Ticket Tailor platform.