Yana Maizel: Flamenco Artist

Paris Dept: Just ask Yana Maizel; a Jewish woman born in Russia, brought up in Canada, resident in Paris, trained as an actor and consumed with a passion for Spanish flamenco dance, according to The Star. It has been argued that to be a true flamenco artist your soul has to be have been deeply marked by suffering, loss or consuming passion. Flamenco artists tap their inner duende in its original meaning a mythological, goblin-like creature to deliver performances that touch something primal and universal and getting a grip on one s true inner identity can be a challenge at the best of times. It s even tougher when your life journey is a cultural roller coaster. What Maizel calls her struggle with identity is the theme of My Name Is Not Carmen , a 75-minute solo show she unveiled in Paris in 2010 and brings to the St. Lawrence Centre this week for its North American premiere. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.