María Carrasco

Spanish ballerina María Carrasco, the show’s creator.

Spanish ballerina, María Carrasco, and her ballet will fill Panama City's National Theater with Andalusian song and dance during the show, "Tiempos Flamencos", on Tuesday, October 24, at 8:00 p.m.

After touring Spain and Europe as a member of a number of well-known dance troupes, María Carrasco decided to establish a ballet of her own in 1994, just in time to participate in the "Nuevo Valores del Flamenco" contest, hosted by the mayoralty of Madrid. Winning the first prize, the troupe gained popularity thanks to its fresh yet authentic Andalusian style.

Within a year, the group was touring Spain and countries such as Mexico, the United States, Poland and Cuba.

"Tiempos Flamencos", which translates as as "Flamenco Times", is the group's third major production, presented for the first time at Teatro María Luisa de Mérida in 1998. It is described as a journey through the various epochs of Flamenco without an apparent plot, but with a sequence of images that perfectly intertwines choreography and music.

Fifteen dancers take part in this two-hour show which combines both old and new aspects of flamenco.

Panama will be the last of the Central American countries to be visited by María Carrasco's 2006 tour.

Tickets cost $15, $30, $50 and $75, for sale at all Blockbuster video rental stores.

Colombian "Vallenato" singer, Diomedes Díaz, will offer a concert on Friday, October 20 at Hotel El Panama's Vasco Nuñez de Balboa Convention Center. The event includes a performance by Panamanian "Tipico" stars, Samy & Sandra Sandoval.

Vallenato, Colombia's most famous musical rhythm, is very popular in Panama, due to cultural reasons (Panamanian "Tipico" is a close relative of Vallenato. Panama was part of Colombia until 1903.) Samy & Sandra Sandoval, a brother-and-sister duo from the province of Herrera, made "Tipico" popular in Panama City's dance halls in the 1990's –a time when the genre was considered coarse and unsophisticated by city folk. Today, Samy and Sandra, as well as other "Tipico" performers, are national celebrities.

Panamanians in New York get ready for independence day parade

The Panamanian community in New York City will have its 11th annual Panamanian Independence Day Parade on Saturday, October 7th, on Franklin Avenue, Brooklyn at 11:00 a.m.

Also, the community will organize the Caribean Multi-National Business Conference in Panama City, to be held November 9-14. It will cover two important topics: the expansion of the Panama Canal and the Panamanian vote abroad.

For more information, contact Dr. Marco A. Mason, marcomason@aol.com

The town of Antón, in the province of Coclé, will hold its annual "Torito Guapo" ("Handsome Bull") Festival October 12-16.

A tradition brought by the Spanish during the colonial period, the festival takes its name from the main character of the celebration –a man dressed in a bull-like costume,who chases passers-by down the streets. There are also folklore performances and outdoor dance parties.

Approximately 120 people, mostly women from the United States and Panamá, will enjoy "Soothing Our Souls," an international women’s retreat at the Country Inn & Suites in Amador, November 5-12. The Soothe Our Souls (SOS) Retreat is organized by VIP Publishing Inc.’s CEO, Ife Keene, and her husband, Damani, who are now full-time residents of Panamá. Dozens of North American women and their husbands are expected to come to Panama for the first time thanks to the event.

The SOS International Women’s Retreat will primarily focus on five areas: Health and Wellness, Personal and Professional Enhancement, Spiritual Rejuvenation, Relationship Connections and Reconnections, and Goal Setting. It will also provide basic information on Panamá’s outstanding Pensionado program and opportunities for retirement, purchasing real estate and the advantages of off-shore investing. Real estate tours in the capital, to mountain and coastal developments, and tours to the Canal, the Caribbean, Chagres (Embera), Pacific beaches and El Valle will be offered.

The concept of SOS and the retreat are the result of a book Ife Keene wrote and published, "Cancer of the Spirit." For more information: http://www.sootheoursouls.com/sosretreat.html or contact Ife@SootheOurSouls.com. Single day registrations are available for persons who cannot attend the entire retreat.

Panamanian model Analía Núñez.

Approximately 20 Panama-nian and international haute couture designers will take part in the "Días de Moda" fashion festival at Hotel El Panama’s Vasco Nuñez de Balboa Convention Center, October 11-13.

Organized by Panamanian modeling and fashion promoters, Nikki de Roy and Marie Claire de Bueno, in association with the mayoralty of Panama City, "Días de Moda" has become a tradition in the capital’s October calendar. The organizers expect 12,000 people to attend the shows, music performances, exhibits, shows and workshops, the event expects to call the attention of 12,000 people.

Participating designers include from abroad Hernán Zajar, María Adelaida Penagos and Fabrizzio de Castro (Colombia;) Ani Alvarez Calderón, José Clemente and Claudia Jiménez, (Perú;) Andrea Kozhaya, (Ecuador). Represen-ting Panama will be: Sara Bassán, Laura Zerbinati, Helene Breebaart, Moisés Sandoya, Horacio Prado, Eda González, Jurandir de Oliveira, Melina Tipaldos, Karen Dayan, Greta Bayo, Juan David Velez, Andrea Vernaza and Claudia Szerer.

Coiba's flora and fauna at Bus terminal

Panama City's Gran Terminal de Transporte has been transformed into an art gallery this month, with 40 giant photos of the fauna and flora of Coiba National Park. The exhibit, which features the work of photographers Alejandro Balaguer and Alex Schmid, was organized by Fundación Albatros Media and ends on October 31.

Coiba National Park is Panama's second largest maritime protected area and includes Coiba, the country's largest island, as well as dozens of islets of the country's southwestern Pacific coast. The bio-diversity of Coiba and its surroundings is comparable to that of the Galapagos Islands, due to its numerous endemic species.

Gran Terminal de Transporte is the point of departure and arrival of most of the country's national and international bus routes. It is used by over 200,000 commuters every day.

SATURDAY - OCTOBER 7- Canadian Association's Thanksgiving Dinner
At the Miramar Hotel, Avenida Balboa. Cocktails, 7 P.M., Dinner: 8 P.M. Tickets: $25 for Canadian Society Members, $30 non-members, available through the Canadian Embassy: 264-7115/9731

MONDAY - OCTOBER 9- Expat Social, Rino's Restaurant - 6:00pm
Everyone is welcome. Meet new people, share experiences, tips, & pitfalls of life in Panama. Happy Hour and registration start at 6:00pm, buffet opens at 6:30pm. Cost: $12 (tax included) for the buffet, and special drink. Rino's is located on Frederico Boyd and Calle 49.

THURSDAY - OCTOBER 12 JAZZ EVENING & Pre-Registration Night, 6:30 p.m.
Ceasar Park Hotel - Casino Lounge. The Jazz Band, "Jazz Effects" will be playing live starting at 7:30pm. Please RSVP before October 10.

SUNDAY - OCTOBER 15
Day trip to Gatun Locks & area
Mike & Debbie are the event's hosts. Cost for transportation is $40/person ($75/couple).

THURSDAY & FRIDAY - October 19 & 20
Health & Wellness Tour – 9:15am. A tour of the best health centers of the Panama City area. Cost is $28/person (or $50/couple)

MONDAY - OCTOBER 23
Medical Insurance Seminar
featuring four speakers (all recommended by expats), presenting the numerous policies availabe to expats in Panama. The pre-registration fee is $8, paid before October 18th. Light lunch included.

SUNDAY - October 29 - Boating Day Trip
If a minimum of 15 Expat Explorers sign up, the cost is $60 per person, but if you have the Pensionado status, the cost is only $30

Felipe Motta’s "Wine Store", the largest chain of wine and spirits in Panama, will host its sixth annual Fair, October 25-26 at the Marbella branch.

Wine aficionados will be able to sample approximately 75 different wines from 15 major international cellars, including BANFI (Italy); Calvet (France); Casillero del Diablo - Trio (Chile); Etchart- Terrazas de los Andes- Altos de las Hormigas (Argentina); Cakebread Cellars, Benziger, Saint- Francis and Sequoia Grove, as well as Marqués de Riscal (Rioja), Julián Chivite (Navarra), Torremilano (Ribera del Duero), and Castillo de Perelada (Catalonia), from Spain.

Experts from each company will be present at the event, offering guests interesting lectures on everything from grapes and glasses to the highest levels of wine tasting.

The Fair will take place from 4:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The admission is $20.00, which will grant those attending a passport which counts towards the purchase of a bottle of their choice.

Wednesdays are Jazz Nights at Casa Góngora, in Panama City’s Old Quarter, featuring the music of the Carlos Ubarte Jazz Quartet, from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. These weekly recitals are organized by the Municipality of Panama. Admittance is free.

Casa Góngora is one of the oldest Spanish colonial houses of the San Felipe district. Built in the 18th century, it belonged to a prominent family by the last name of Góngora. It was restored in the mid-1990’s and transformed into a museum, art gallery, and a small concert hall, with capacity for 70 spectators.

For more information, call: 212-1350.