The curtains open. The color of the stage lights turns to a cantaloupe orange, and three senoritas dressed in long, white-frilled dresses slowly take their spots on stage.

As the guitarist starts to play, they spin around, revealing their high-heel shoes, and begin the intricate footwork of the flamenco dance.

The Flamenco Vivo dance theater company performed different variations of the flamenco dance, which has origins in Spain, Africa and South America, Saturday at The Egyptian Theatre, 135 N. Second St.

According to the Flamenco Vivo flier, Flamenco Vivo was founded in 1983 by Calota Santana and Roberto Lorca to use art to break down cultural barriers.

Flamenco Vivo uses this multicultural art form to convey universal themes of pride, sorrow, love and death.

The dancers were skilled and well-rehearsed; they synchronized every move. The guitarist and songstress accompanied the drum-like beat of the dancers’ feet in every scene of the production.

Fabia Pinheiro, graduate student and fine arts coordinator for Campus Activities Board, said CAB scheduled Flamenco Vivo for programming during the previous school year.

“CAB is usually very concerned about bringing groups from different cultures and heritages,” she said.

Freshman political science major Rebecca Edwards said she frequently attends shows and thinks Flamenco Vivo was definitely worth the money.

“I thought it was awesome … very cool,” she said. “NIU should have more of these events and more people should come to them.”