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INTENSIVE FLAMENCO IN TORREVIEJA

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Keith Nicol / 2011-09-03 14:34:26

Torrevieja already has a reputation as one of the best places for music teaching and with the imminent opening of the new conservatory of music, that reputation will be further enhanced. However, when it comes to dance the city stills lags a way behind others in the region. As part of the manifesto from the ruling PP council, Eduardo Dolon has promised to bring the standard of dance up to an advanced level, offering superior classes and advanced teaching.

The first dance classes that fall into this category are taking place next week, taught by Ursula Lopez who will teach an Intensive Flamenco course from Monday September 5.

Renowned dancer Ursula Lopez is teaching the course for students of intermediate and advanced levels and at the moment they have enrolled 20 students from different parts of Spain, including Extremadura, Murcia Seville, along with 15 students from the Escuela Municipal de Danza as part of the 15 fellowships from the Instituto Municipal de Cultura Joaquín Chapaprieta Torregrosa. The course will take place each afternoon at the Centro Cultural Virgen del Carmen.

Ursula Lopez was born in Montilla (Córdoba) in 1976 and began studying classical Spanish dance at the Conservatory of Music and Dance in Malaga, finishing her studies at the Conservatory of Music and Dance in Seville in 1997. At 18 she began her dancing career taking part in the opera Carmen directed by Carlos Saura and choreographed by Manolo Marin for the Festival of Spoleto in Italy.

Throughout his long career she has been part of the Compañía Andaluza de Danza, as evidenced by her participation in the inauguration of the Teatro Real de Madrid and at the Festival de Lorca and Granada in the gardens of the Generalife, which premiered "Bodas de Sangre" under the direction of Antonio Gades, the role of women as well as their interpretation of one of the two leading roles in "The Legend" by José Antonio, during the inauguration of the Teatro Canovas Malaga. With both shows she toured theatres around the world. In November 2004, she performed as guest artist at the National Ballet of Spain where she remained until 2006, headlining shows participating in "Legend" and "Coffee and chinitas" among others and touring theatres in London, New York, Theatre de Chaillot in Paris, Festival of Granada and Season la Zarzuela in Madrid.

She has been part of "The Three-Cornered Hat" and "coffee pebbles" (El sombrero de tres picos” and “El café de chinitas”) in commemoration of the centenary of Dali, playing the roles of the Miller and Death respectively. In September,  intervene as a soloist in performances "Don Juan Flamenco" by Rafael Campallo and "asymmetry" of Andrés Marín, with whom participate in the Biennial of the Dance in Lyon, France. Besides the company offers courses in flamenco worldwide.

Eva Tejedor, former head teacher of the Mariemma School of Dance in Valladolid said that it was wonderful to have such talented teachers coming to Torrevieja and that she hoped that this was the beginning of the expansion of the dance program in the city. For those interested in finding out more about Spanish dance classes, you should visit the Virgen del Carmen Cultural Centre, where the majority of courses are held.