Helena Benge

I have taught Flamenco dance for over 20 years and try to make learning new dances fun while mastering technique and choreography combined with good posture and breathing.

They will learn about Spanish culture through the dance, it’s people, climate, language and it’s amazing, colourful, dance forms from Regional, classical and the gypsy form we now know as Flamenco.

Certainly, through answer and call methods, repetition, by count method and sound method.

Music, Theatre, books and nature.

I have been dancing Flamenco since the late 1970s. Initially, I studied Flamenco and Spanish Classical and Regional Dance in London. Subsequently, I went to the source of the art form and spent many years learning and perfecting my art in the major Flamenco schools in Madrid, Sevilla and other cities in Spain for example, Amor de Dios in Madrid— widely considered to be Spain’s leading Flamenco school—and various teachers in Sevilla and Cordoba. Among others I have studied with such respected teachers as La Tati, La Truco and Immaculada Ortega. Among more contemporary dancer/teachers I have studied with such Flamenco luminaries as Rocio Molina—voted Best Flamenco Dancer in Spain 2010 in a national poll — Farruquito, Rafeala Carrasco, Manuel Linan, Marco Flores and Juan Polvillo.

I am a very experienced Flamenco, Spanish Classical and Regional Dance teacher, dancer and lecturer. I teach weekly classes in towns throughout Southern England and intensive courses in Madrid, Seville and Jerez each year. I was formerly resident Flamenco teacher at Sadlers Wells during the prestigious London Flamenco Festival. I also teach workshops at schools and colleges and have taught groups of all ages, abilities and disabilities. I also organise Flamenco workshop holidays in Sevilla, Cordoba and Jerez.

Numerous articles published and working on a book currently. I have performed on stages all around the UK and Europe with my company Cancion Gitana. For most of my performance career I have specialised in Flamenco dance theatre. I have created, choreographed and toured such favourably reviewed shows as Goya, Cafe Cantante, Casa de Bernarda Alba, Dos Mujeres, Spanish Sketches, The Fire Shoes—a children’s show- and Lament for Lorca, a biography of the Spanish poet. Highlights have been sell out shows at The Brighton Festival and Casa de Bernarda Alba at Sadlers Wells. I have performed many times on TV and radio, most recently on a BBC TV programme exploring the spirituality of Flamenco. I have taught the rudiments of Flamenco to a number of well known personalities for TV, films and promo videos and appeared in classical music dvds.

Equity.