How old is flamenco?
That’s a big subject of discussion right now. Flamenco has five influences: Andalusian, Jewish, Moorish, gypsy and liturgical – the church. Flamenco as the world knows it dates back to the late 1800s in southern Spain. How did you fall in love with flamenco? I saw Jose Greco when I was a young kid in the ’50s, and I went crazy when I saw it. I was already a ballet and jazz dancer. Flamenco was a hot item in those days. The golden era of flamenco dance in this country was the ’50s and ’60s. What are your hopes in starting a flamenco school in Denver? I’ve already nurtured a flamenco dance company in Albuquerque, Dance España. But I couldn’t compete anymore with Maria Benitez flamenco, it’s a very small place. I thought, Denver is a big city, my family is there, I know people. I got a lot of negative reactions from people, they said there’s nothing there in Denver. I said, ‘Perfect!’ It’s virgin ground, and there’s a huge Hispanic population here. How are your Saturday classes with kids?
