When Edwin Aparicio took his first flamenco class, he was a recent high school graduate looking for opportunities to further his ballet training. But he immediately “fell in love, head over heels, with flamenco,” he says. “The complexity of the footwork, and the singing, and the intricacy of the dance with the guitar and the […]
In flamenco, the hands and fingers play many different roles. Clapping, snapping, body percussion, slower movements that complement fast footwork, and even playing an instrument are all tools of the trade, says Xianix Barrera, a Bessie-nominated flamenco dancer and the founder of Xianix Barrera Flamenco Company. Flamenco dancers also use their hands and fingers to […]
1. Through what societal group did Gades find his calling in flamenco? 2. Name the choreographer who discovered Gades at age 16 and gave him his stage name. 3. What did Gades and the choreographer mentioned above contribute to Spanish dance? 4. Who provided Gades with his virile technique? 5. Why did Gades think that […]
Yvonne Gutierrez, heralded flamenco, salsa and Spanish dance artist and educator, has built her reputation as an ambassador for creative connection in the arts. With her dedication to bringing tradition forward while fostering standards of inclusion and outreach, she continues to raise the bar for dance education. Gutierrez, a New York native based in the […]
A fierce concentration fills the studio as a group of flamenco students—male and female, undergraduate and graduate—rehearse under the watchful gaze of Daniel Doña and Cristian Martín. The young men stretch their bodies in taut, elegant lines. The young women move their arms in fluid contrast to the brisk, rhythmic staccato of their feet. Long, […]
Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba’s downtown Havana studios are on a plaza where you see few tourists. A historic landmark, the building is now where 1,300 dance students learn the Cubanismo style, 30 of them in its academic program. Artistic director Lizt Alfonso trained in classical ballet at Cuba’s National School of the Arts, but not […]
If you’ve never taken a flamenco class or had the pleasure of watching one, now’s your chance. Ballet Hispánico let us peek inside an advanced teen flamenco class, which was a part of the school’s summer intensive program. Taught by renowned flamenco dancer Nélida Tirado, who began her formal training at Ballet Hispánico, the floor […]
Alborada Spanish Dance Theatre, flamenco and Spanish dance company and nonprofit organization, presents its free-admission Feria de Sevilla Festival this Sunday, June 11, 2–5 pm, at Parker Press Park, in Woodbrige, New Jersey. The outdoor festival emulates the famous Feria de Sevilla in Spain and includes live music and dancing, educational workshops, arts and crafts, […]
Jesús Carmona The best flamenco dancers in Spain have gathered in New York City this weekend as New York City Center hosts the 2017 Flamenco Festival, March 9–12. For the first three days, participants can see world-class dancers and musicians perform classic flamenco in Gala Flamenca. On March 12, avant-garde flamenco dancer Olga Pericet, known […]
Last night’s Dance Magazine Awards honored five remarkable artists: flamenco dancer Soledad Barrio, National Ballet of Canada artistic director Karen Kain, American Ballet Theatre principal Marcelo Gomes, dance archivist David Vaughan and Urban Bush Women artistic director Jawole Willa Jo Zollar. Held at The Ailey Citigroup Theater, the awards ceremony consisted of heartfelt speeches by […]