Vito Genna: Guitarist

Vito Genna is a native of Long Island, NY and has been playing guitar since the age of twelve. Vito studied classical guitar under the direction of William Zito and flamenco guitar under the direction of Dennis Koster. Vito earned his degree in Music from Hofstra University and has performed at many locations and events in New York City and on Long Island.

Vito has developed a core repertoire of his own music for solo flamenco and classical guitar. Based on the traditional flamenco forms, the music ranges in style from the romantic and Latin-influenced forms such as Mantillas de Feria, Guajiras, and Rumbas to the more traditional forms such as Sevillanas and Bulerias, and definitely includes a lot of the festive and lively sounds for which flamenco is best known as well as classical repertoire of the great baroque and classical composers. Vito is also a talented arranger, often arranging many popular songs for classical guitar.

Most recently Vito has been working with flamenco dancer Lisa Adele Nazli, Viola Marks-Kelly and percussionist Timonthy Jordan and together they formed the Fuerza Flamenca group which combines true flamenco elements of dance, guitar, and percussion.

Lisa Adele Nazli: Flamenco Dancer

Lisa Adele Nazli has extensive performing and teaching experience.  Her dance education began at an early age with the study of ballet, tap, and jazz.  She has also performed, studied, and taught modern, African, Latin, ballroom, Middle Eastern, Spanish dance and flamenco. Lisa specializes in flamenco and Spanish dance and has studied with Jose Molina, Neli Tirado, Omayra Amaya, Eva Lucena, Sebastian Castro, Victorio, Chavela, and Maria Loreta.  Lisa performed for eleven years with Eva Lucena’s company, Alborada Spanish Dance Theater.  she has also performed in various venues in and around New York City and Long Island, independently.

She has performed with several dance companies, including the Hudson Valley Dance Theater, Dondines Dancers, CW Post Concert Dance Company, and Alborada Spanish Dance Theater of New Jersey.   Lisa is an English as a Second Language teacher and a New York State certified dance teacher, working daily to bring dance and flamenco to children and audiences of all ages. Lisa can be contacted at esperanza97@hotmail.com.

Viola Marks-Kelly: Flamenco Dancer

Viola has performed from Chicago to Maharashtra, India; Vermont to Virginia and has been privileged to perform for friends, and multinationals, for two and for 8,000 in a venue.  In the humblest halls, on the largest stages; at weddings, art openings, and private parties; in festivals and in restaurants; for people in schools, and people in assisted living center she has gratefully entertained.  The privilege to share continues with Fuerza Flamenca Group, and with friends at “Ciao Stellas”, Manhattan.

For three years Viola studied Flamenco nearly nightly with Edo Sie, and for three summers at Dame Libby Komeiko’s Flamenco workshops at Northeastern Illinois University.   Viola continued Flamenco studies in the 90′s in New York City at Fazil’s Studios with Madrid’s Jose Molina and those who came to Fazil’s from Spain giving workshops, like La China, Elena and Belen Amaya.