Prizes of the Dance School "Al-Andalus"

It would seem that quite recently, I and Margarita Perez, the founder of the Dance School "Al-Andalus" have discussed the nuances of founding a school, have thought about how to present it to future dancers, have chosen layouts for the first advertising campaign, have filmed videos for master classes and today, the team tours, participates in big concerts and competitions.

The classes are attended by sixteen flamenco lovers, four of them work at JINR.

Margarita, in April, the Flamenco Dance School "Al-Andalus" participated in the Diferentes-2023 dance competition in Moscow. Tell us about the peculiarities of this competition, please.

- This is a competition held annually by the Cultural Centre "Flamenqueria" and this year, for the first time we had the opportunity to take part in it and demonstrate our choreographic performances to other dance schools. The competition featured different dance disciplines, but flamenco dance dominated. The jury consisted of professionals from each of the disciplines that coordinated the evaluation and the final result.

Al-Andalus showed two choreographic performances that were awarded the first and second places! What did you perform at the competition and how did you select the performances?

- For all of us it was a great joy to get such results from the jury. Results deserved for all, as we put a lot of effort into the learning process, not only at the stage of foundation, but also during rehearsals. From different flamenco rhythms, I decided to present the "Alegria" that was awarded the second place and the stylized flamenco (the first place). Both awards were won in the category Beginners. The production "South", for which we were awarded the 1st place, is our new choreography, the premiere took place on 25 March at a concert dedicated to the JINR Foundation Day. I always make sure that each choreography has music that can convey the feelings of each of us, with a story to tell, including the choreographic movements already learned at our classes and most importantly, the technique for each of them. The selection of choreographies for participation in the competition can sometimes be difficult, the most important thing is to know what we want to show in accordance with the area of work of our school.

Please, share your impressions from the trip, from the atmosphere of the competition, what emotions were there when the results were announced?

- 10 participants went to the competition and we all were very much looking forward to the moment of the performance. The trip itself started early in the morning, everything was great. Positive atmosphere, anticipation of the competition, we were confident, as we had done a lot of work in preparing for the competition. We all managed to have lunch together, had a lot of fun and with a calmed nervous system, went to the dressing room to finalize the makeup and finally, go on stage. Many schools participated. For us it was a debut in this competition, but we immediately felt how well we were welcomed. When we were presented with an award, we jumped for joy, feeling recognized. We never stopped laughing and being proud of each other. For us it was a wonderful experience. I would like to thank the Cultural Centre "Mir" of JINR for its support that coordinated our trip to Moscow and back. We thank the Directorate of the Institute for the provided transport and the opportunity to study in the large hall of the Cultural Centre.

What do you think, how important is it for the team to participate in such events?

- Participation in a dance competition is not only a way to evaluate individual or group work, but also useful for us as a learning material for joint study and gaining new knowledge about the work of representatives of other schools. This is in line with our goals of promoting teamwork. It is important for us to share knowledge with other dancers and professionals of our dance discipline, raising our level and strengthening interpersonal relationships.

Margarita, your dance school grows, develops, what prospects do you outline for the members of the team?

- It has been a year and a half since founding our school. Thanks to the Cultural Centre "Mir" for helping and supporting in a flamenco dance project, the project from which our school was born. From the very beginning, we have focused on getting a good grasp of flamenco dance technique, coordination and use of various accessories such as a fan, skirt, cane, shawl. At the moment, we have worked and completed seven choreographic productions. The "South" refers to a more complex level.

Our goal is to continue to develop talent, body dexterity, skill and rhythm in dance, allowing one to increase his or her dance level in order to participate in competitions with higher categories and as a new perspective, to succeed in opening a group for beginners interested in the art of flamenco dance. I invite everyone to the Cultural Centre "Mir" for classes at our Flamenco Dance School "Al-Andalus". The world of dance art is wonderful!

Interviewed by Eleonora YAMALEEVA,
Member of the Union of Theater Workers of the Russian Federation