NEWS

ICU Student Receives the 9th Elsur Foundation New Face Award for Flamenco

Update: March 1, 2021

Ms. Ena Ito (4th year student, College of Liberal Arts; major: Anthropology; minor: Biology) received the 9th Elsur Foundation New Face Award for Flamenco. There are three genres for the award: Modern Poetry, Contemporary Dance, and Flamenco, and the foundation honors a new face or a group of new faces for each genre that are recognized to have shown outstanding performance during the year from November to October of next year.

Ms. Ito was awarded as the most outstanding new face of the year in recognition of her enthusiastic and ambitious performances that may contribute to expanding the possibilities of flamenco as well as her understanding of its tradition and background and advanced dance skills.

　

Comment on receiving the award :

The New Face Award is determined based on the judges' evaluation of an individual's activities throughout the year, not through a competition.

An award I received in a flamenco contest gave me an opportunity to study at an art school in Spain specializing in flamenco from September 2019 to December 2020. Though a lockdown was imposed in Spain in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I was luckily able to continue my studies online. I was surprised and at the same time very pleased to receive a notice of the award from the foundation as I tried my best to do whatever I could in such a circumstance. This award encourages me in continuing my future activities.

I received the award thanks to my teachers, family, friends, and flamenco colleagues who have supported me thus far; I would like to express my deepest gratitude once again. I will continue my flamenco journey while at the same time exploring what it is that I can do for my flamenco performance.