The NEXT SESSION of flamenco starts April 20th* – the focus is footwork!
Flamenco 1 – Beginner – For those with little or no flamenco experience and those wanting to review and improve their skills with 4 count rhythm. You do not need previous flamenco experience to take the Level 1 class.
Flamenco 2 – Int/Adv – For those that have worked with the 12 count before. A more advanced option for steps given will be made available to those students needing a challenge.
*Appropriate footwear required – Character shoes or any shoes with a sturdy heel would be fine for beginner students.
Classes run for 8 Thursdays: April 20th – June 8th. The early-bird deadline is April 13th.
It has been so great to be back in class! We have 2 levels currently thriving on Thursdays and are looking for some quick feedback about upcoming classes once this session is over so we can decide on how best to proceed.
I am hoping to have one more session of flamenco classes at Sugar Swing before summer hits. My plan is to continue with 2 levels, Thursdays at the same times, but for the next session the focus will be on footwork. Level 1 will stay within the song form of Tangos. Level 2, still within the 12 count. Character shoes or any shoes with a sturdy heel would be fine for beginner students. You do not need previous flamenco experience to take the Level 1 class.
If you are interested in a session of flamenco classes starting April 20, could you please take a few seconds to fill out the google form at the link below? Replying does not obligate you to commit to classes. Responses are anonymous so please only fill it out once so the response count is accurate. It is just 3 multiple choice questions about level and length of session. All the information about dates and pricing is at the top of the form.
The google form is now closed. You can find out about the next session and the link to register on my CLASSES page.
The next opportunity for classes after this will be in the Fall.
I’m so excited to announce I have partnered with Sugar Swing to offer 2 levels of flamenco classes through their studio.
Beginner – Tangos For those with little or no flamenco experience and those wanting to review and improve their skills with 4 count rhythm.
Intermediate/Advanced – Bulerias For those that have worked with the 12 count before. Appropriate footwear required. This class will be tailored to the level of the students. Depending on the level of attendees, a more advanced option for steps given will be made available to those students needing a challenge. (We may split the class in half as we have done before)
Classes run for 8 Thursdays starting Feb 16th. The early-bird deadline is Feb 9th.
Happy New Year! We have made it to 2023. I hope you have found ways to stay positive, safe, and healthy through these challenging times.
For the past two and a half years, I have kept myself going by studying intensely, daily, with my own teachers in Spain – cante, baile, theory, history, and rhythm. I have a lot to share with you when we finally meet again.
A note to update you on my flamenco classes.
With things finally opening up last year, I was hoping to re-enter the world of classes this Fall but it just wasn’t the right time for me yet. I have been recovering from a very persistent shoulder injury for well over a year now and have really needed the time to heal from it and the stress of the past 2 years.
I can’t believe it has been 3 years since our last semester of classes in Spring of 2020! I’m not sure how I will be moving forward and it does feel a little like starting all over again.
Some of you have been asking about classes and I have begun giving some private and semi-private classes on weekdays during the day. For the moment that is all I am currently available for. If you are interested please contact me for details. I am hoping to get a regular beginner class going in the next few months. Timing will depend on where and when I’m able to find studio.
Intermediate and Advanced students – I did host a student social to reconnect last June with a very small response from students. If you are interested in getting back to classes, now is the time to let me know.
2022 brought many challenges and changes but also some much needed relief as things opened up again.
Many of you know that my other job is as a private piano teacher. After 2 years of intense online piano, I was finally able to start holding my lessons in person again last April.
Even though we knew almost immediately that the Edmonton Flamenco Festival could not survive after the losses from 2020, it took more than 2 years to settle everything. The chaos the world was in also made for a lot of chaos in that process, with a lot of delays, obstacles, and challenges. We were finally finished and able to close everything off last July with just a final tax year to deal with this Spring. In March we released a stunning video montage of the final 2019 festival as we announced the end. If you would like to revisit the festival and all it’s amazing history, please do visit the website – www.edmontonflamencofestival.com
Finally, my email delivery provider went out of business in late 2021 and I am now using Sendinblue to manage messaging. Mass emailing is not a perfect system and some email addresses will just automatically block my newsletter without you even knowing. If you haven’t heard from me in a while, I encourage you to check this website regularly for updated information. You can also follow me on social media:
It’s been 2 long years since our world turned upside down and now that it’s finally warm out it seems like a good time to reconnect in person.
I hope you’ll join me at 2pm on Sunday June 26 for an informal social gathering at ᐄᓃᐤ (ÎNÎW) River Lot 11∞ Indigenous Art Park. (10380 Queen Elizabeth Park Rd) Weather permitting!
There is parking, a shade shelter, an open picnic area, some wonderful Indigenous public art reflecting on the history of the area, and a stunning view of downtown and the Walterdale Bridge. If you prefer to walk or bike, there’s a staircase down from Saskatchewan Drive at 105 Street.
Hope to see you there!
Jane
Top Image – The tents of the Velá de Santa Ana in Triana from the Puente de Triana – Seville, Spain
Bottom Image – View of downtown Edmonton and Walterdale Bridge from Saskatchewan Drive.
A quick note to update you on my flamenco classes. As you can imagine, in studio classes are unlikely to take place for some time. I hope everyone is managing in these very interesting times and finding ways to stay positive safe and healthy. If you have any questions or just want to connect for a chat, please do send me a note. I sure do miss sharing weekly moments with everyone.
There are a lot of great online performances, live interviews on instagram and facebook, and releases of past performances happening. It’s truly an unprecedented time for online access to flamenco in its cultural home and in intimate ways we wouldn’t normally have access to. Here are some pics of my favourite teachers and what they’ve been up to online:
Dancer Miguel el Rubio performing at the Peña Cultural Flamenca Torres Macarena de Sevilla in October.
Dancer la Farruca interviewing singer Antonio Villar on Instagram
Dancer Farru interviewing his brother dancer Farruquito on Instagram
Dancer Farru giving a talk about his family history via flamencos por el mundo.
Dancer Oruco performing with Juan Villar, Luis Amador, and Juan Jose Villar as part of regular online events at flamencolive.jp
Dancer Manuela Rios performing in T de Triana.
All the best for an inspiring 2021! Hoping to see you all again soon.
A quick note to update you on my flamenco classes. In what would have been the start of my 20th year of teaching flamenco in Edmonton I find myself instead taking a semester off for the first time. As an independent teacher, I’m not comfortable hosting groups of students in person in the studio at this point. Insurance does not cover this type of situation and Marrmac themselves have had to put some pretty strict protocols in place to keep their studio running. Many people are finding this a very uncertain time, I think it’s best to wait until the situation improves and we can see each other in person again.
I hope everyone is managing in these very interesting times and finding ways to stay positive. I am taking advantage of the time to work on my own development. I hope you are inspired to do the same! Since March I have been studying quite intensely with my own teachers in Spain and will have a lot to share with you when we finally meet again.
I will re-update everyone in the New Year about if a Spring session of regular classes will be happening or not. Until then, I hope everyone stays safe and healthy. If you have any questions or just want to connect for a chat, please do send me a note. I sure do miss seeing all of your lovely faces in class!
Here are some pics from the past few years to lift your spirits
Tangos master class with visiting Spanish dancer Farru, November 2019.
Tangos workshop with visiting Spanish dancer Carmen Ledesma, November 2019.
Romance workshop with visiting Spanish dancer Carmen Ledesma, November 2019.
Dancers Magdalena Difani, Jen Dunford, and Carmen performing the Alegrias from my Level IV class at the Flamenco Society of Edmonton’s 2019 Community Show. Photo – Earl Mckenzie
Song and Dance Workshops with Vancouver’s Stephanie Pedraza and guest guitarist Tosh Hayashi from Calgary – 2015
Soleá performers from my Level II/III class with guest singer Susan MacGregor and guitarist David Matyas at the Flamenco Society of Edmonton’s 2019 Community Show
Song and Dance workshops with Vancouver’s Oscar Nieto – 2015
Flashmobbers performing my tangos choreography created for the Edmonton Flamenco Festival in 2016/17
UPDATE – online classes will not be taking place at this time
Wondering about my next flamenco session? Interested in some online classes while you are stuck at home? MarrMac students are keeping up with their technique at home while we wait for this all to pass!
Are you? How are your palmas coming along? This is a great time to work on arms, hands, and posture. If you have room in your home, marking steps and choreography. If you have enough privacy and space, why not work on your footwork technique?
Students, in the wake of the cancellation of the Edmonton Flamenco Festival, I have not had the chance to send out a message about upcoming classes. We won’t know when in-person classes are able to run again so I have not set up my post-festival class session. The Flamenco Society of Edmonton has also just announced they have cancelled their Community Show in May.
In the meantime, I am happy to set up some online classes to keep you occupied and engaged with the material we’ve been working on. They would not begin until April and would occur in real time as our regular classes do. Note that I am not offering free classes, nor am I offering to share or post recorded videos.
We are all facing a very uncertain future and a rather chaotic present. I completely understand if it is not in your best interest to sign up for classes at this time. There is no need to write me to explain. In fact I would prefer that you refrain from doing so as I am also overwhelmed with the situation.
For more information and to indicate your interest, please visit this link and we’ll see what might work for those interested.
UPDATE – online classes will not be taking place at this time
Stay safe and well and hope to see you once this has all passed.
Jane
ps – in case you have missed the updates from the Edmonton Flamenco Festival, we’ve been posting photos of past performances and classes along with tidbits about guest artists online. You can read recent posts and catch new ones on our:
Class Reminders – final group class Friday, March 6th 6:30 – 8:00
Edmonton Flamenco Festival – Workshop early-bird registration deadline tonight!
CLASS REMINDERS
Friday, March 6th final group class 6:30 – 8:00
A reminder that the final group class for all students is Friday, March 6th. Students will all get a chance to review their material from 6:30 – 7:00
6:30 – 7:00 – review class work with your classmates. We will use available studios
7:00 – group warm up and presentation of pieces
This is an informal opportunity for each class to perform their dance for the other students and to see what other classes have been learning. We will finish with a few videos to watch and coffee at a local café afterwards. It’s a really fun night and a great way to end the semester. There is no obligation to perform.
*Please note that March 6th’s group class is for current students only. Guests are not allowed.
If you registered but have missed a lot of classes or had to withdraw from class this semester, please feel free to come to the final class as an observer to see what others have been doing, watch some videos with us and meet other members of the community. It’s a fun night.
Next session
Classes will resume after the flamenco festival and will include rehearsal for the community concert. Info coming out later this week.
EDMONTON FLAMENCO FESTIVAL March 12 – 15
Festival Mainstage – Sevilla en Blanco y Negro – Winspear Centre March 13
Festival Workshops – Early-bird deadline midnight tonight! March 2nd
Don’t miss this chance to experience the artistry of our incredible guest performers from Spain!
Cante (song) class with José ‘El Pechuguita’ – for all levels.
I highly encourage everyone to attend. This class is designed to practice singing as a group and even if you are not interested in singing beyond the class, it’s invaluable for deepening your understanding of the dance. Never been to a cante class before? Not to worry we tend to all help each other out. This is a fun class with a lot of students attending. José ‘El Pechuguita’ was here as a guest of Jairo Barrull in 2018 and taught a fantastic class por tangos.
Compás (palmas) class with El Oruco – for students that have experience with the 12 count.
El Oruco is a master at palmas and his compás classes are the best out there. This is the first class I look for when I go to study in Seville. If you are in my level I class or above, this class is for you.
Dance classes with El Oruco and Karolina González – have a look at which level is appropriate for you below.
Are you in my Beginner level tangos classes?
The Introductory level Tangos with Karolina González is aimed at your level.
You can sign up for Package A if you want to take both days of dance, and Package B if you want to add the cante class as well.
In my level I – III bulerías or soleá por bulerías classes?
The Beginner/Intermediate level bulerías with Karolina González is aimed at your level. Level III’s, the Intermediate/Advanced level is also for you.
In my level III – IV classes?
The Intermediate/Advanced level Alegrías with El Oruco is aimed at your level.
Workshop early-bird registration deadline – March 2nd!
Don’t miss this chance to experience the artistry of our incredible guest performers from Spain. The Early-bird deadline for Festival workshops is this coming Monday, March 2nd. Classes are March 14th and 15th. See below for more information.
For this year’s festival, I’m beyond thrilled we are bringing dancer El Oruco from Seville who has been my mentor since 2010. His guests include his wife, dancer Karolina González, as well as 2 singers returning from past festivals. José ‘El Pechuguita’ was here as a guest of Jairo Barrull in 2018 and Jonathan Reyes was here as a guest of Sonia Olla and Ismael Fernández in 2019. Guitarist José Luis Medina rounds out the group.
El Oruco and guests – March 13th performance at the Winspear – Tickets now available!
Weekend workshops – March 14th – 15th
Early-bird deadline – March 2nd. Wondering what classes are for you?
Cante (song) class with José ‘El Pechuguita’ – for all levels.
I highly encourage everyone to attend. This class is designed to practice singing as a group and even if you are not interested in singing beyond the class, it’s invaluable for deepening your understanding of the dance. Never been to a cante class before? Not to worry we tend to all help each other out. This is a fun class with a lot of students attending. José ‘El Pechuguita’ was here as a guest of Jairo Barrull in 2018 and taught a fantastic class por tangos.
Compás (palmas) class with El Oruco – for students that have experience with the 12 count.
El Oruco is a master at palmas and his compás classes are the best out there. This is the first class I look for when I go to study in Seville. If you are in my level I class or above, this class is for you.
Dance classes with El Oruco and Karolina González – have a look at which level is appropriate for you below.
Are you in my Beginner level tangos classes?
The Introductory level Tangos with Karolina González is aimed at your level.
You can sign up for Package A if you want to take both days of dance, and Package B if you want to add the cante class as well.
In my level I – III bulerías or soleá por bulerías classes?
The Beginner/Intermediate level bulerías with Karolina González is aimed at your level. Level III’s, the Intermediate/Advanced level is also for you.
In my level III – IV classes?
The Intermediate/Advanced level Alegrías with El Oruco is aimed at your level.
Dancers, there is a lot of interest from dancers in Edmonton and other cities in Canada and we anticipate our usual high registration levels. Class sizes are limited and we encourage you to register early so you don’t miss out.
Flamenco with Jane 