Flamenco Dance in Ireland: A Brief History
Ireland has a very small but growing community of dedicated flamenco students, dancers and musicians and by getting this artform out into the public domain, we hope more people will appreciate how truly beautiful and dynamic flamenco is. Since 1997, within this small community, a handful of flamenco dance groups have grown: Sólo Flamenco (2007-2009), Aires Flamencos and Flamenco Puro.
Esperanza Linares was one of the first flamenco teachers to introduce regular flamenco dance classes in Ireland, arriving in 1996. Ana Castellanos started teaching regularly in Dublin city centre from 1999 until her return to the US in 2003. Ana, while in Dublin, organised many workshops with dancers like Raquel de Luna (dancer with Juan Martin) and La Serrana a teacher and choreographer based in Sevilla and Holland who has worked with the Farruco family.
Esperanza Linares originally set up the Academy of Flamenco in Dublin's city centre, until her move to Canada in 2005 where she has returned to teaching and performing. Joyce Richardson then took over the school and set up the flamenco group Aires Flamencos from teaching in Dublin to performing around Ireland.
Sólo Flamenco formed in January 2007-2009. Sólo Flamenco taught classes in Dublin and performed around the country. They organised regular workshops with Felipe de Algeciras, Cristina Hall (Sevilla) and most recently Concha Jareño (Madrid). Sólo Flamenco performed at Festivals like Out to Lunch in Belfast, Waterford Spraoi and Dun Laoghaire Festival of World Cultures.
Over the years there have been a few flamenco teachers travelling to Ireland to teach flamenco classes. Claudia Chambers from Sydney, Australia taught both flamenco dance and cajón in Dublin in 2004/2005, then returned to Sydney to set up Aurora Percussion. Dancer and teacher La Juana from Malta travels to Dublin for months at a time to take classes and workshops. Yolanda González Sobrado (flamenco dancer from Riverdance) has taken a few workshops in Ireland and returned in August 2009 to take a series of workshops in Dublin city centre.
Recently there have been two new organisations set up in Dublin: Flamenco Puro, a group who have extensive history in flamenco dance, who hope to bring teachers and dancers to Dublin for workshops and a new pena (club) where members can pay to register, who bring dancer Felipe de Algeciras regularly to Dublin to perform.
A mix of our beginner and intermediate dancers in Ireland travel to the Festival de Jerez annually as we are not lucky enough to have advanced flamenco dance teachers in Ireland. The Festival runs annually and hosts two weeks of top class flamenco performers.
Members of Flamenco Puro now travel to Spain on a regular basis to acquire a more advanced standard of flamenco training.
Via Dublin, Lynn is currently active in promoting Centro Municipal de Flamenco www.cursosdeflamenco.com a flamenco school teaching dance and guitar, based in Córdoba with dancer Jorge del Pino, singer Gema 'La Pichurri' and world-class guitarist El Macareno.
In Ireland, we have been lucky enough to have flamenco performers like Sara Baras, María Pages, Paco Peña, Tomatito, Vincente Amigo, Concha Jareño travel over to perform in Ireland and as we have an recent unfed hunger for flamenco, we are always looking for flamenco artists to travel over to perform in Ireland.
Lynn e. flamencolynn@hotmail.com t. 087 4171494
A Short History of Flamenco Dance in Dublin, Ireland
writes Esperanza Linares
I arrived in Ireland in 1996 when, at the time, the flamenco community was very small. Since then I have dedicated myself to teaching and sharing what I have learnt. I started teaching in Digges Lane and continued to teach, depending on what dance studios were available. It was a slow process, as for any thing new to see it flower, it took patience and time. I set up a regular weekly class in Carmans Hall, Francis Street in Dublin city. This is where I formed the Academy of Flamenco.
My aim was, and still is, to enjoy and learn an art form that would enable to help express as an individual all those emotions that come out with flamenco, as well as have a good work out.
As a rule though I consider it essentially important to learn the basics of flamenco technique correctly for both the health of your body and to enable control and speed in footwork.
After leaving Ireland in 2005, flamenco continued with the help of Lynn (La Gitanilla, Flamenco Puro) and Joyce (Aires Flamencos) who have worked very hard to make sure every thing is running well. It is great to see how flamenco continues to grow in the hearts of the students in Dublin.
I would like to give special thanks to Lynn, my oldest and longest participating flamenco student in Dublin, who joined flamenco many years ago when I started in Digges Lane and since them, has became passionate and devoted, as well as always being very helpful. After all these years Lynn has acquired a good knowledge of flamenco dance and history and now performs in Dublin regularly.
I hope in my heart that the flamenco community in Dublin will became bigger and stronger, but above all a good supporting and fun way to have a great time through getting together and performing together.
Esperanza Linares
History of Flamenco
Flamenco dances and songs have captured the imagination of Europe and America for many years. Flamenco has steadily gained in esteem as an authentic art throughout the world (thanks to the foreign tours by some of its genuine interpreters like Vicente and Carmen Amaya).
There are many theories regarding the origin of the word 'Flamenco'. Some say it is derived from the Arabic language, some from the Flemish subjects who came with Charles V and others attribute it to the essential characteristics of the songs; ardent, vivid, flaming.
Flamenco dance is certainly very ancient and therefore everything is based on theories or word-of-mouth. No one can put their finger on exactly where it originated but what is now very well known is that Flamenco is recognised world-wide as an art in its own right.
They attribute Flamenco dance to a mixture of Arabic, Hebrew and Gypsy styles. They also believe it originates from sacred dances performed in the Indian temples, where some of the Indian dancers were shipped in the middle ages to entertain the Royal Courtesans of that era.
Over the centuries, all of these influences evolved and transformed into modern Flamenco, a dance that comes from the heart making the dancer get in touch with the energies of the earth and dignity of the being.
