USA Projects

I have spent my life enjoying/benefiting from/enmeshed in the art form of flamenco- it has given me pride, strength, an emotional vehicle to express my innermost feelings -- it has given me a foundation for strength. This strength I give to my students of all shapes, forms and ages - mostly school age youth still able to be awed/inspired and molded. They receive our gift of flamenco in so many surprising ways. Stand proud and tall, stamp you feet on the ground act strong, show me you are sad, happy, angry; yes, all of it. And they do it.

I have been amazed at our work in rural towns where we have found that the arts truly can turn lives around. I want to show what an art form like flamenco, rich in Hispanic heritage, can give to youngsters and how we can change their lives. I am making a documentary film about this process that will show the progression from “unknowing” students to proud accomplished youth who, far from the cultures of this mixed cultural art form, have come to embrace its elements.  We will distribute this with the help of the North Carolina Arts Council and our many arts-partners across the nation.

Four flamenco artists two dancers, one guitarist and one singer will spend a week in the town of Robbinsville (population 700) in the Appalachian mountains teaching the students at the local elementary school, their families and teachers. The Stecoah Valley Arts Center, a former school built by locals with native stone in 1930, will host the culminating performance of the week-long workshop. The students learn flamenco technique songs in Spanish and for the final performance are dressed in typical flamenco costumes. They learn the pride and emotional display of the art form, a life long learning which instills pride and personal accomplishment. They experience the underlying joy of learning dance, music and song. Your support will help us share this incredible transformation with wider audiences. We need to cover the costs of camera and sound equipment, travel expenses, film crew and other production, and editing and post-production. Thank you!

This documentry will be distributed to schools in rural areas where our work can continue. It will be used to show  education Foundations where their money can make a difference and to educators who work hard to keep the arts alive in our school systems.