In this edition of “Sketchbook,” we learn to dance Flamenco.
Alice Blumenfeld fell in love with flamenco in her youth growing up in New Mexico where there is an annual festival and national institute dedicated to the Spanish art form.
Realizing that she could be the one to start such an organization, Blumenfeld launched her own pre-professional company Abrepaso, which means “opening a pathway.”
In Northeast Ohio, she is teaching both dancers and audiences about flamenco.
Flamenco has helped Blumenfeld express herself ever since she was first introduced to it back in middle school. “One of the really cool things about flamenco is that it attracts people from all different walks of life, different economic backgrounds, different ethnic backgrounds. And I think that's because flamenco is a hybrid form to begin with. It drew from many different cultures and histories,” she said. “I just want to give people the opportunity when they need that expressive outlet, flamenco is here for them.”
