Savannah Fuentes is a Seattle-based flamenco dancer, a woman who has made a career on the stop-and-start rhythms of her hips, feet and hands – all while insisting that it’s not entertainment.

“It’s a more spiritual experience,” she said of her performances. “I’ve been independently touring for four years. It’s a labor of love and I see it as very sacred work …. I feel strongly that flamenco creates powerful healing energy when executed by positive artists.”

The name of her most current tour, Northern Lights — which ends at the Sedona Posse Grounds Hub, Nov. 13 — reflects this emphasis on spirituality gained from a lifetime in the Pacific Northwest, close to the aurora borealis but also to an “energetic presence” that surrounds every living thing.

“The day after my poster design was completed, the local Seattle news channel reported that the northern lights made a huge display throughout the state of Washington — a good sign, for sure,” Fuentes said, adding that the choice to end in Sedona was similarly happenstance.

“It just lined up perfectly. I book these tours and sometimes a show just comes together with ease and a good vibe. It just felt right. It’ll be my first visit to Sedona, but I’ve of course heard about the energetic properties of Sedona. We plan to celebrate the end of a long tour and visit the sites.”

Despite her identity as a flamenco dancer, Fuentes explained that her emphasis has always been on the singing — the heart and soul of flamenco. For Northern Lights, she invited Juan Carrasco Soto — “Juañarito” — to join her for his first public appearances on American soil.

The son of the famed Andalusian gitano flamenco singers Juañares and Chelo Pantoja, Juañarito began touring professionally at the age of sixteen, gaining national fame during a series of performances on the Spanish version of The Voice. La Voz España, earlier this year.

To read the full story, see the Friday, Oct. 30, edition of the Sedona Red Rock News.