La Moneta
Who is La Moneta?
Fuensanta Fresneda Galera, known artistically as “La Moneta,” was born in 1984 in the Sacromonte district of Granada, the neighborhood of cave dwellings that gave rise to the Roma zambra and that shaped, from the cradle, her way of understanding dance. Belonging to a Roma family from the neighborhood itself, she grew up surrounded by the atmosphere of the caves where generations of artists had danced before her, which made her approach to flamenco almost natural from childhood.
She began her training at eight at Mariquilla’s school and soon after extended her studies at Rosa Mari’s academy, as well as receiving classes from figures such as Antonio Vallejo, Juan Andrés Maya and Manolete. That early, varied training allowed her to take to a professional stage while still a child.
Career
At just twelve or thirteen she was already performing regularly in the caves of the Sacromonte, among them the well-known venue “La Rocío,” and she also danced at the Peña Platería in Granada, one of the city’s historic temples of cante and baile. At fifteen she made the leap to Madrid, where she debuted at Sala Suristán in 2000 leading her own group, a decisive step in becoming known beyond Andalusia.
Since then she has performed in theaters such as the Isabel la Católica in Granada, the Calderón in Motril and the Alameda in Málaga, as well as at international festivals, including the Rhine Festival in Frankfurt. She has taken part in collective productions by Javier Latorre, such as “Triana: en el nombre de la rosa” and “Rinconete y Cortadillo,” and has starred in her own shows such as “De entre la luna y los hombres,” premiered in 2007 under the direction of Hansel Cereza, and “Lo que trae el aire.” In 2003 she won the first “El Desplante” dance prize at the Festival de las Minas in La Unión, one of the most prestigious flamenco competitions.
Style
Her dancing draws on the garra and temperament typical of the Granada school, to which she adds a strong dramatic component and a very refined rhythmic control. She herself has named Carmen Amaya, Manuela Carrasco and Eva Yerbabuena as references, while also acknowledging the influence of Matilde Coral on her arm work, all combined with a more contemporary choreographic research alongside creators such as Javier Latorre.
Legacy
La Moneta has established herself as one of the leading voices of the generation of bailaoras to emerge from the Sacromonte in the wake of the great names of Granada dance, bringing a vision that combines the tradition of the caves with more contemporary stage proposals.