Renown local celebrity actors Anthony Black (Antonio el canadiense) and Jeremy Webb (Jose-Jeremias Lopez Jimenez) recently came clean and revealed their astonishing secret past as flamenco dancers in Spain to Atlantic Flamenco Productions‘ artistic director Maria Osende. OLE! CANADA reporters met with the flamenco trio in Halifax for a tasty tapas-style Thanksgiving dinner. Here is the world exclusive story!
“I can hardly believe that my adoptive family in Spain is Jeremy’s family!” says an emotional Anthony. Both men rest after their first intense flamenco dance rehearsal for their upcoming performance of Carmen at the Maria Osende Flamenco Company’s upcoming 10th Anniversary Gala. “And now here we are in Halifax, preparing for our come back as flamenco dancers and for our first flamenco performance together ever!” says Jeremy.
Tired, sweaty, but happy, both men practice fiercely, stomping their feet at the speed of light with uncontainable passion. “Thanks to Maria, we found each other” said the teary-eyed pair. “Mama and papa would be so proud”.
“I am thrilled to have discovered these two amazing male flamenco dancers in Halifax!” says Maria “I just could not believe it! Jeremy’s pure flamenco style and British passion are just what is needed for the challenging role of Don Jose, Carmen’s jealous boyfriend, while Anthony’s incredible technique and elegant lines are perfect for his role as the bullfighter. I just hope I can keep up with them! This is a dream come true, what a way to celebrate our 10th Anniversary!”
Read the dancer’s bios below to find out the Truth!!
Tickets for the Gala on Saturday November 8th are now on sale. This “incredible” celebration includes a Spanish and South American Wine Tasting and a silent auction in support of Atlantic Flamenco Productions / Maria Osende Flamenco Company.
JEREMY WEBB (Jose-Jeremias Lopez Jimenez)
But everything comes with a price: his unique and fierce style combined with his wild sex-appeal and looks made other flamenco dancers so jealous, that at age 15 he was forced to flee Spain in order to protect himself and his family. One day during a stop of the cruise ship he and his family where working on, he left taking only his flamenco boots with him, eventually ending up in Cambridge, England. He adopted a new identity, transferring his flamenco passion to Shakespeare, and becoming the renown actor he is today. Years later and in Halifax, Maria Osende went to see his play “Fishing” and instantly KNEW THE TRUTH. She went to see him backstage and screamed “Jeremias! El Flamenco desaparecido!” Jeremy was stunned but relieved and admitted the truth about himself and broke into by a liberating 30 minute long flamenco dance solo, following which a teary-eyed Maria said: “The world deserves to see you dance again”.
Jeremy is also the founder of Off The Leash, were he produces theatre, film, the written word, photographs and events. From event production and hosting, to full-blown theatrical production OTL has something for everyone.
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Born in the heart of a renowned flamenco dynasty in Spain, Jose-Jeremias Lopez Jimenez (known as Jeremy Webb) started dancing flamenco in his mother’s womb. “I remember feeling the flamenco beat run through my little fetus veins” says Jeremy in perfect English. Not surprisingly he soon became a flamenco sensation and at age 6 he was touring all over Spain and beyond.
ANTHONY BLACK – (Antonio el Canadiense)
Anthony Black grew up happily in Halifax breathing the fresh air of our shores. One day at age 15 while surfing at Rainbow Heaven, a giant wave dragged him into the ocean and he was declared missing. His family and friends grieved his death but…he was alive! He had been rescued by a Spanish cruise ship that happened to pass by. Anthony recovered over several weeks after the almost deadly accident, but lost his memory. The cruise ship entertainers, who happened to be a flamenco family, and who had recently lost their son Jose-Jeremias Lopez Jimenez (also known as Jeremy Webb), felt that Anthony’s arrival was a sign and adopted him, coincidentally renaming him “Antonio”. (Wow, another sign!) Once they landed in Spain, “Antonio” sat night after night around the bonfire with his adoptive family breathing and living flamenco. Soon after he started touring along with them, performing all over Spain and in cruise ships. One night, his grieving parents, who since his disappearance had spent an awful amount of time on cruise ships, recognized him on stage. They screamed “Anthony, son!!!” and Anthony, who was in the midst of a challenging flamenco dance solo, stopped, looked at them and suddenly remembered EVERYTHING. Anthony moved back to Halifax with his real family and became a writer, actor and producer, putting behind his decade-long flamenco life in Spain and keeping it a secret. One day, Maria Osende went to see “When it Rains”, one of Anthony’s plays (2b theatre) and she INSTANTLY RECOGNIZED the famous and disappeared “Antonio el Canadiense“. She went to see him backstage and screamed “Antonio!!! El Flamenco desaparecido!!!” Anthony was stunned but relieved and admitted the truth about himself followed by a liberating 30 minute flamenco dance solo that just poured out of his soul! A teary-eyed Maria said: “The world deserves to see you dance again”. Don’t miss Anthony’s come back as a flamenco dancer in the role of Escamillo, the bullfighter who conquered Carmen’s heart, at our 10th Anniversary Gala on Saturday November 8th! |
