Foto: Martin Mydtskov Rønne, from a perfomance of Lorca's poems at El Duende

Alessandra - alias Sandra, IT senior consultant, dances and teaches flamenco when off from "regular work".
Webmaster for Copenhagens flamenco society "El Duende", writes articles and reviews for El Duende's magazine, and some articles were also published on the american "Journal of flamenco artistry" and the italian "Il Ponte".

Someone says "flamenco is a lifestyle". Well maybe if you were living in 1800. I agree with Maria froma famous Venta in Cadiz: it's a religion.
Not just a lot of stomping but also a living culture made of music, rituals and expressions. Flamenco appeals to all senses. It does not require you to have long dance experience to start, and it's a great feeling to be able to share this "religion" with other people, no matter of today's ethic values, appearence   or social status.

I've danced flamenco sinde 1992. It happened that I joined Elio and Lise's evening class, where I got familiar with the different flamenco styles, and met the other group members.

Since the constitution of the group in 1993 we have danced in many places: private parties, festivals, and even in a live TV show on national danish TV.

In 1996 I got the unique chance to participate to a dance project with real professionals, Evolution, with Isabella Falsing and NY based Luis Montero as manager and choreographers. I danced a group choreography of Ravel's "Bolero", but as I also reharsed the other parts of the show I discovered the quintessence of bulerias!

Elio and Lise are teachers and friends, since I met them a cold evening in october 1992 when the flamenco class began. We were about 20 girls (there are usually always girls in those classes!) that needed to stomp, and not only to keep warm. After the course we were only 2 left, as we all found out how flamenco is difficult. And we liked it, and kept on!

Besides the two "historical" teachers Elio and Lise I have taken lessons from other artists e.g. Belen Fernandez, La Chiqui de Jerez, Antonio el Pipa, Juan Luis de Paula. Some of them are very special to me:
Gabriela Gutarra, she gave me a real kick when I was still new to the dance. And she taught me amounts of tangos!
Lis Rasmussen, danish living in Sweden, one of the best teacher in the world! She taught me wonderful tarantos, tientos, and soleá.
Lola Marquez, incredible how much she can teach you in a week in Torremolinos
Luis Montero, choreographer and dancer living in New York, we had five unforgettable weeks until the premiere...

There are other flamencos important to me, like Sus. She welcomed me when I came to the peña the first time, and we gave each other support in some very critical and tense moments of the reharsals of Evolution...
She's a real world-class flamencologist and a great dancer too.

My favourite style is probably tangos. And tarantos, tientos... but I also learned to enjoy bulerias after I took a weekend workshop with the charismatic Henriette and Benedikte, and a winter class recently with Eva "la Evita" Nielsen. She is an incredibly talented dancer and teacher - Jerez "power training" and no chit-chat in the classroom!