After seeing a Flamenco performance I knew that I wanted to learn it. I’ve been dancing all my life and teach dance to adults, so it’s been wonderful to be able to be the student again. I love that Casa de Flamenco is just around the corner from home, and Kristy has created a beautiful community of dancers. Her teaching style is gentle and supportive, yet she still manages to fill us with the fire of Flamenco.
Not only is Kristy inspiring to watch when she dances, but I have also picked up a lot of teaching ideas and tips from her. I’ve been dancing Flamenco with Kristy for two and a half years now and it has become a highlight in my week, and I’m thrilled with how far I’ve come. Flamenco is challenging, but with an excellent and supportive teacher it is incredibly engaging and rewarding.
I recommend Flamenco and Casa De Flamenco for teachers and experienced students of other dance styles. As my body ages, this is a dance style I can continue to improve at, and get enormous satisfaction. Best part, it’s time just for me each week.
- Jo, Casa de Flamenco Student
Kristy is a kind teacher who will make you feel welcome from day one in her class.
In Kristy’s class not so much perfection is the aim but rather what is perfect for yourself. Step by step and little by little you will see yourself as a more accomplished dancer with every class.
Flamenco isn’t easy, nor is it fast to learn. You will need to coordinate every limb of your body in a rhythm that isn’t always easy. Yes, frustrations are sometimes part of the deal Kristy will help you through. And yet it’s something for everybody who wants to feel like whole body and soul got a revitalising massage.
Learning flamenco is also to learn that sometimes you will need to try more than three times to get it right. But once you do and you start feeling it, it’s just awesome (and a bit addictive). Kristy always manages to help every individual to achieve that in a kind but direct way.
- Sonia, Casa de Flamenco Student
One of the most memorable events in my life was seeing for the first time Flamenco dancing. I was mesmerised and totally captivated by the raw fusion of music, singing, human expression, movement and colour together with a dynamic dialogue between artists an audience. What I saw was the distilling of sophisticated complexity and professionalism into the most remarkable visual experience. The revelation of a hidden language. * From that point on I was driven to experiencing and understanding more the art of Flamenco.
The opportunity arose to go further on this quest when Kristy Manuel accepted me as a beginner’s student at Casa de Flamenco. This was a remarkable opportunity for me in Flamenco, the equivalent of not just admiring a beautiful painting but to magically step into it. My appreciation for the skills of those who dance Flamenco skyrocketed and further enhanced my appreciation of this art form. Kristy’s mentoring, guidance and tolerance particularly for someone who has come to dance so late in life has been so important and hugely appreciated. I have come to understand and appreciate the additional important features of being a student of Flamenco dance. It is a most powerful way to exercise memory, balance and agility in the company of supportive students who share a love of the dance.
You will gather I am constantly learning and very passionate about Flamenco dance. It is an important part of my life for I understand fully what Martha Graham the dancer meant when she said:
*“Dance is the hidden language of the soul of the body”.
- Richard, Casa de Flamenco Student